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f Gift of The People of the United States 
- Through the Victory Book Campaign 
' (A. L. A. — A. R. C. — U. S. 0.) 

To the Armed Forces and W orchard Marine 


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WELCOME ! 

HOLY COMMUNION: BEFORE 
AND AFTER 


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« 


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From the original painting by Holman Hunt . 

“Behold, I Stand at the Gate and Knock.” 

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WELCOME! 

HOLY COMMUNION: BEFORE 
AND AFTER 


BY 

MOTHER MARY LOYOLA 

AUTHOR OP “FIRST COMMUNION,” " THB LITTLE CHILDREN'S 
PRAYER-BOOK,’* “HOME FOR GOOD'’ 


EDITED BY 

FATHER THURSTON, S.J. 


A NEW EDITION 


Benziger Brothers 

New York, Cincinnati, 
Chicago 


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K CH (? zo 



QMfKf oBstat : 

HERBERT THURSTON, S.J. 

3rd April 1904. 

Umprimafu? : 

* FRAN0ISCU8, 

ArcJtUp, Westmonast 

Die 4 AprilU 1904. 


PRINTED IN ENGLAND. 
MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 


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And the Spirit and the Bride say 
Gomel 

And he that heareth let him say 
Comet 

Amen, Come, Lord Jesus! 


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PREFACE 


However sincere may be the often-expressed 
distaste for artificial forms of prayer, there is, 
if I mistake not, deep down in human nature a 
certain instinctive craving for the adequate 
expression of its needs and emotions. We do 
not want to memorialise the Almighty in the 
language appropriate to a civic address, but, on 
the other hand, we are not always quite content 
to use the simple formulae or the stumbling im- 
provisations of spiritual childhood. We feel that 
something more is expected of us — otherwise, why 
lift our voices in supplication at all to the God 
who already knows what we crave? Our moods 
are very various, our thoughts about God and our 
own souls are often more entangled than our ideas 
about anything else in the world. The spiritual 

vii 


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viii 


PREFACE 


guide who helps us most is he who can interpret 
ourselves to ourselves ; and to nobody do we feel 
a deeper gratitude than to one who can put into 
simple words the vague longings after good which 
we know not how to utter in any form that satisfies 
us. Thus our objection to written prayers arises 
not so much from the fact that reading our 
petitions makes them unreal, as because we so 
rarely meet with a book which says just what we 
want to say, and says it worthily in terms that 
ring natural and true. 

After all, the Church has always encouraged the 
use of forms of prayer — at least to aid and sup- 
plement private devotion. During penitential 
seasons we still retain in our liturgy the traces 
of an interesting practice of the early ages, which 
Mgr. Duchesne has aptly designated V or arson col- 
lective. In this the President of any Christian 
assembly after a subject had been announced to 
the congregation present and a space of time had 
been left them for private recollection upon their 
knees, rose to his feet and summed up in a few 


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PREFACE ix 

aptly chosen words the vaguely formed hopes and 
desires arising in the hearts of each. It seems to 
me that Mother Loyola, in this little volume of 
Preparations and Thanksgivings for Holy Com- 
munion has discharged much the same function 
for her pious readers. There will be many, if I 
mistake not, who will find here the expression of 
what they have often deeply felt and been unable 
to put satisfactorily into words for themselves. 
But there will also be others for whom its most 
useful function will be to suggest and to stimulate, 
and this latter service, as the more important of 
the two, is also, I understand, the more directly 
designed by the author. It has not been her 
idea to furnish, as in a prayer-book, all the acts 
usual before and after Holy Communion, but 
rather to propose a dominant thought, to fall in 
with a mood, or need, or burden. 44 For the rest,” 
she writes, 44 the soul should be left to shape its 
own prayer, in words more fruitful, because more 
direct and intimate, than any that could be 
provided from without.” There is no reason to 


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X 


PREFACE 


doubt that those who use this little book in 
this spirit will find it both immediately and 
permanently helpful as an aid to their devotion 
in Holy Communion. 

HERBERT THURSTON, 

31 Farm Street, W., 

Feast of the Patronage of ist. Joseph, 

1904. 


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CONTENTS 


PREFACE 
INTRODUCTION 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 
THE WELCOME 





1 A 01 , 

• • • • 


• 

vii 

• • • • 


• 

xiii 

OF MARY 


• 

I 

OF FAITH. L 


• 

17 

OF FAITH. IL • 


• 

25 

OF A CREATURE. L 


• 

35 

OF A CREATURE. IL 


* 

41 

OF A CHILD. I. 


• 

49 

OF A CHILD. IL 


• 

56 

OF A SINNER. I. 


• 

63 

OF A SINNER. IL . 


• 

69 

OF PRAISE. L 


• 

77 

OF PRAISE. H. 


• 

90 

OF A FRIEND. L o 


• 

IOI 

OF A FRIEND. IL • 


• 

no 

OF A FRIEND. III. . 


• 

119 

OF A PATIENT. I. . 


• 

131 

OF A PATIENT. IL . 


• 

141 

OF A PATIENT. III. 
xi 


* 

150 


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xii CONTENTS 

THE WELCOME OF TRUST. L 

THE WELCOME OF TRUST. IL • 

THE WELCOME OF TRUST. III. 

THE WELCOME OF A HOST. I. . 

THE WELCOME OF A HOST. II. 

THE WELCOME OF A HOST. HI. 

THE WELCOME OF A TOILER. L 
THE WELCOME OF A TOILER. II. . 

THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT. I. 

THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT. IL 
THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT. IIL 
THE WELCOME OF LOVE. L . 

THE WELCOME OF LOVE. II. 

THE WELCOME OF LOVE. III. 

THE WELCOME OF A CROSS-BEARER. I. 
THE WELCOME OF A CROSS-BEARER. II. 
THE WELCOME OF A CROSS-BEARER. III. 


THE LAST WELCOME 

I. 

. 

• 

• 

• 

THE LAST WELCOME 

II. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

THE LAST WELCOME. 

HL 

• 

• 

• 

• 


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PAG* 

16c 

175 

186 

197 

207 

215 

225 

239 

253 

263 

272 

28l 

288 

295 

3°3 

312 

321 

33i 

343 

350 


INTRODUCTION 


Many circumstances will determine the character 
of our preparation for the visit of a guest — his 
rank, his relations with us, the object of his visit, 
and perhaps our special needs at the time. But 
one disposition will ensure its ntness and its 
acceptableness in every case. Let him but 
hear “ Welcome ” from our lips, or rather see 
“Welcome” in our face, and he will be satisfied. 
“Welcome!” greets the sovereign in letters of 
light It is seemly on the lips of the poorert 
peasant, of the casual acquaintance, of the in 
timate friend , 4 of the parent, and of the child 
It never tires, it never grows monotonous or 
superfluous. For it takes a new meaning with 
every change of circumstance affecting our guest 
or ourselves. If either is joyous or sad, wronged, 
weary, anxious, burdened, disturbed — it suits 
itself to every need. 

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XIV 


INTRODUCTION 


Our Lord is one of us and like us in all things, 
sin excepted. His Heart responds like ours to 
the sound of u Welcome !” It beat quicker as, 
tired at evening with His daily toil, He crossed 
the threshold of His home at Nazareth and read 
it in Mary’s face. As He saw it stamped clear 
and bright all the house over at Bethany. As 
He heard Martha’s greeting, reverent yet hearty, 
and her sister’s whisper inaudible to all but 
Him. 

So sweet to His ear is its sound, that He con- 
descends to invite it : “ Zacheus, make haste and 
come down, for this day I must abide in thy 
house. And he came down and received Him 
with joy.” “And they drew nigh to the town 
whither they were going, and He made as though 
He would go farther. But they constrained Him, 
saying: Stay with us, because it is towards 
evening, and the day is now far sjtent. And He 
went in with them.” 

^ On the other hand, how He feels the absence of 
welcome, how sensitive He is to mere outward 
forms of decorum : “ Thou gavest Me no kiss ! 99 

We know, then, what to secure when He comes 
to us, what will make His visit a pleasure to Him. 


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INTRODUCTION 


xv 


Pop this, surely, is our chief aim in our Com- 
munions. We go to Him to be fed, enriehed, 
comforted, no doubt. But there is a stronger 
reason still, a deeper need to be satisfied. 
We have to make Him a return of love. We 
have to receive with joy the Quest whose delight 
is to be with us. 

Our welcome, as we have seen, will vary in 
character with our dominant disposition at the 
time. It will be jubilant or humble, wistful, 
sympathetic, or grateful, as praise, contrition, 
desire, trust, love, sway us at the time. But all 
will be variations of one chord. And each a fresh 
title to His own u Welcome!” on the threshold 
of our Home. Coming out of the darkness of 
this world, we shall see Him standing there 
awaiting us. He has been our welcome Guest 
times without number during the days of our 
pilgrimage ; the hour has come for us to be His. 
“Gome, blessed of My Father, possess you the 
Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 
of the world, . . . Enter thou into the joy of 
thy Lord.* 


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THE WELCOME OF MARY 


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THE WELCOME OF MARY 

,# / will joy in God my Jesus.” — Habacuo iii. 


Before Communion. 

What a model we have in Mary’s welcome! 
What beautiful commingling of adoration and 
affection ! The folding of her Divine Child % to 
her breast on Christmas night was the fond 
embrace of the Mother, but it was no less the 
worship and the clinging of the creature. 

What annihilation of self in His Presence, 
what concentration on Him of all her powers, 
what whole-hearted jubilant praise, what joyous 
offers of service, what glowing gratitude welcomed 
Him in the Incarnation, at the Nativity, in every 
Communion at the hands of John during the 
years in Ephesus and Jerusalem ! 

The reception of a king, a father, a conqueror, 
a benefactor, a friend, a bridegroom, a child, has 
each its special characteristic. Christ was all 
these to Mary and more a thousand times. She 
had to give Him, as far as in her lay, the welcome 
3 


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4 


WELCOME I 


due to a God. Was she equal to this? Her 
mind and heart were at home in regions to which 
the most daring flight of the cherubim and sera- 
phim never attained. But when she crossed her 
hands upon her breast after Communion, and 
bowed down in adoration, she felt as no other 
creature has ever felt, and acknowledged in 
depths of humility, of which we do not so much 
as dream, the utter insufficiency of her worship 
and her love. 

Mary knew that He who is mighty had done 
great things for her. And she knew that the 
return to Him of all He had given fell short of 
what was due to Him by a deficit that was simply 
infinite. Around her on every side stretched a 
limitless ocean of perfection which no human 
praise could cover. She tried unceasingly to 
meet its claims upon her homage, and incessantly 
fell back upon her nothingness as a creature. 
Yet not to rest there. For in the Treasure con- 
fided to her in the Incarnation and in the 
Eucharist, she had enough, more than enough, to 
supply all her deficiency. She had the Co-equal 
Son to offer to the Father as her adoration, and 
thanksgiving, and praise. 

The same Treasure is made over to us. Like 
Mary, we make such return from our own store 
as we may. And then, conscious that we are 
unprofitable servants, 4 ‘wretched and miserable, 


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THE WELCOME OF MARY 


5 


and poor and blind,” we Have recourse, like her, 
to the Infinite God within our breast, and offer 
Him to Himself as a Welcome worthy of Him. 

Mary most holy, I come to thee in my great 
need. I am preparing to receive into my heart 
the Holy of Holies, and, dear Mother, I am afraid. 
I know His eyes cannot endure iniquity. I know 
that in His Angels He found sin. I know that 
He sees and sounds to its depths my sinful soul. 
And still He bids me come to Him and be united 
to Him in the closest union possible upon earth. 
How shall I stand before the Most High ? How 
shall I, a sinner, dare to draw near to Him before 
whom the spotless Angels veil their faces and sing 
continually 44 Holy, Holy, Holy ”? 

Blessed be His love and His compassion. 
He Himself has prepared my way to Him. He 
has made the conditions so easy, that I can have 
no excuse for keeping at a distance and declining 
His invitation to 44 sup with Him.” The wedding 
garment of grace — this is all He strictly requires. 
Less He could not ask. Anything more He 
leaves to my love and sense of fitness. Thy 
Immaculate purity, thy glorious holiness was not 
too much by way of preparation for Him — and 
He is content with such poor dispositions as I can 
bring. 

He will Himself give me the wedding garment ; 


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6 


WELCOME! 


and to make up for the ornaments of grace so 
sadly wanting, He bids me betake myself to 
those who can help me from their abundance. 
Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Con- 
fessors, Virgins, Angels, Archangels, Cherubim, 
Seraphim — the whole heavenly host, by the Com- 
munion of Saints, is at my service. And, most 
willing of all to help, the kindest, the most ap- 
proachable, is the highest of all His holy ones. 
Though Mother of God and Queen of Heaven, 
she remembers that she is my Mother, and thinks 
it the simplest thing in the world to stoop from 
her throne in order to succour me in my need. 
As a mother decks her child in her own jewels 
that she may appear fittingly at court, so does my 
Mother make over to me all I ask for or desire, 
that I may be pleasing in the sight of the King 
of kings. 

Give me, then, dear Mother, all thou 
seest me to need. I am so poor and ignorant 
that I do not even know what is lacking to me. 
Give me of thy treasures. Thou wilt not, like 
the prudent virgins, send me elsewhere to beg. 
For thou hast enough for thyself and for me. 
Thou art the dispenser of the good things of God, 
the neck through which all virtue flows to the 
members from their Head. Get me, then, a share 
in the graces which enriched thy soul and made 
it so beautiful in the eyes of God ; in the faith 


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THE WELCOME OF MARY 


7 


that no trial could stagger; in the hope that 
clung closer to God for every blow ; in the love 
that was absolutely self -forgetting and ready for 
every sacrifice. Above all, get me the humility 
that more than any other grace found thee favour 
with the Most High, that ought to come naturally 
to me, that more than all others I have need to 
ask. 

And, Mother, get me thy desirea My heart is 
cold, unstirred, even by the beauty and attractive- 
ness of thy Divine Son, even by His own desire to 
be with me. Show me, show me here and now the 
blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, that I may be 
drawn to love Him and to make Him welcome at 
His coming. 

Come, Lord Jesus, come ! Come and find me 
prepared by Thy Mother’s hands for union with 
Thee. Consider in me, not my own poverty, but 
the riches that from her heart have passed to 
mine. 


&ft*t Communion. 

€i My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit 
hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 

“ For He that is mighty hath done great things 
to me, and holy is His Name” (Luke i.). 

“ Bless the Lord, all ye His angels, you that are 
mighty in strength ” (Ps. cii.). 


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8 


WELCOME! 


“ O magnify the Lord with me, and let us extol 
His name together ” (Ps. xxxiii.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever ” (Ps. xlvii.). 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants, and 
you that fear Him, little and great” (Apoc. xix.). 

€t Sing praises to our God, sing ye ; sing praises 
to our King, sing ye” (Ps. xlvi.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever ” (Ps. xlvii.). 

w Blessed be the Lord God this day” (3 Kings v.). 

“ Amen. Benediction, and glory, and thanks- 
giving, honour, and power, and strength to our 
God for ever and ever. Amen ” (Apoc. vii.). 

" For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever” (Ps. xlvii.). 

I wish, my God, I could give Thee the best of 
welcomes. I unite my poor feeble welcome to 
the welcome of Mary in the Incarnation. To her 
welcome on Christmas night when she first folded 
Thee to her breast. To her welcome when she 
found Thee after a three days* loss. To her 
welcome each evening as she received Thee home 
from Thy daily toil. To her welcome as she held 
out her arms to receive Thee from the cross. 
To her ecstasy of welcome when Thou earnest to 
her at sunrise on Easter Day. To her daily 
welcome when she received Thee, like us, beneath 


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THE WELCOME OF MAftY 


9 


the veils during the years that followed the 
Ascension, when her life was sustained by Thy 
sacramental Presence. To her welcome that was 
the reflex of Thine own when she was received 
into Thine embrace on the day of her Assumption. 

Oh that, even at an immeasurable distance, I 
could follow her lead in the adoration, the praise, 
the sympathy, the reparation, the conformity of 
will and mind and heart which united her to 
Then and were the solace and the joy of Thy 
Sacred Human Heart ! 

I, too, would shelter Thee, Lord, from the cold- 
ness of the winter night, not only by receiving 
Thee into my heart, but by taking to my heart 
Thy suffering members, by feeding, clothing, 
harbouring them of whom Thou hast said : 
“ Whatsoever you do to one of My least brethren 
you do it unto Me ” (Matt. xxv.). 

I, too, will seek Thee when Thou hidest from 
me, either in just punishment for past sin, or for 
present carelessness in Thy service. I will seek 
Thee wherever through negligence I may have 
lost Thee. I will review my use of the Sacra- 
ments, my hearing of Holy Mass ; the duties of 
my state; my responsibility towards those en- 
trusted to me, of whom I shall have to render 
an account to Thee ; the result of my example 
on my household. I will humble myself before 
Thee when I find that through my fault I have 


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IO WELCOME ! 

deserved to forfeit the sense of Thy Presence. 
If I cannot trace to any special cause Thy absence 
from me, I will humble myself for my hidden 
faults. For though u I am not conscious to myself 
of anything, yet am I not hereby justified, for He 
that judgeth me is the Lord” (i Cor. iv.). In 
Thy Blessed Mother there was nothing calling 
for chastisement or for purification. Only for 
the increase of her merit was the pain of the 
three days 1 loss. In my case the subtraction of 
Thy sensible Presence has a threefold cause and 
fruit. See, Lord, that I profit by it according to 
Thy designs. I accept it in punishment of my 
sins, for the purification of my imperfect love, 
and for the increase of my merit. Let weary 
search for Thee here bring greater nearness to 
Thee hereafter. Let me seek, like Thy Blessed 
Mother, till I find. Let me find Thee whom my 
soul loveth when the day breaks and the shadows 
retire, and for all eternity I will not let Thee go. 

Oblation and Petition . 

Thou hast revealed Thyself to me, my God, as 
Love. And because it is the nature of love to 
give, Thou givest prodigally, untiringly, of Thy 
best. “ God so loved the world as to give His 
only-begotten Son” (John iil). All other gifts 
are less than this. All others are contained in 


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THE WELCOME OF MARY 


ii 


this. “ How hath He not also with Him given us 
all things ? ” (Rom. viii.). 

What can I give Thee in return? I have 
nothing but what is Thine. But Thou wilt 
accept from my hand what is already Thy own. 
I offer to Thee, then, and return to Thee all 
Thy gifts of body or of soul, all that Love has 
given, all it has withheld — life, strength, apti- 
tudes, limitations ; my trials, my joys, my graces, 
my responsibilities, my desires, my capabilities 
of serving Thee. And since all I have is un- 
worthy of Thy acceptance, I offer Thee the 
virtues and merits of all the Angels and Saints. 
I offer Thee the heart of Mary most holy. I 
offer Thee Thy own most sacred Heart, an offer- 
ing of infinite worth, made over to me in holy 
Communion that I may present it to Thee again, 
a more than sufficient return for all I have re- 
ceived, for all I expect here and hereafter. 

I offer Thee this Sacred Heart for every soul 
in the world to-day ; for the five hundred millions 
of Christians, of whom so many bear Thy Name 
without loving or serving Thee ; for the nine 
hundred millions who have never heard Thy 
Name, to whom the beauty of Thy life and the 
tenderness of Thy Heart have never been made 
known. O Redeemer of men, who wiliest not 
the death of any, but that all should be con- 
verted and live, save these perishing souls, each 


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WELCOME! 


one of whom is purchased with Thy Precious 
Blood, each one of whom has its place in Thy 
Heart. O Lord of the harvest, send forth 
labourers into Thy harvest. Let the Faith 
spread more widely and more quickly. Prosper 
the foreign missions ; secure baptism for dying 
infants; succour those who will die to-day, un- 
helped by priest or sacraments. 

I offer Thy Sacred Heart for all who are 
groping their way to the truth. O Light that 
enlightenest every man that cometh into this 
world, help them through difficulties which Thou 
alone canst measure and remove. Strengthen 
those who are hesitating on the threshold of the 
Church, those whom temporal motives hold back. 
Oh that I might be so happy as to assist even 
one of these souls ! Lord, give me the opportunity 
and the grace. Let me do a little if I cannot do 
much. Make me generous with sympathy, time, 
whatever I can place at their service. And 
count every effort, every desire, an act of 
thanksgiving for the gift of faith bestowed so 
undeservedly on me. 

Prayer before a Crucifix. 

A Plenary Indulgence, applicable to the souls in 
Purgatory, was granted by Pope Pius VII. to all the 
faithful who, after having confessed their sins with con- 
trition, received Holy Communion, and prayed for the 


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THE WELCOME OF MARY 


i3 


intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff, shall devoutly 
recite the following prayer before an image or re- 
presentation of Christ crucified. 



Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast 
myself upon my knees in Thy sight, and with 
the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and 
beseech Thee that Thou wouldst impress upon 
my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and 
charitv, with true repentance for my sins, and 
a firm desire of amendment, whilst, with deep 
affection and grief of soul, I ponder within my- 
self and mentally contemplate Thy five most 
precious wounds, having before my eyes that 
which David spake in prophecy : “ They pierced 
my hands and my feet> they have numbered all 
my bones.” 

Say jive times the Our Father and Hail Mary for the Pope 
and the wants of the Church. 


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THE WELCOME OF FAITH 


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THE WELCOME OF FAITH 

I 

li Blessed are they that have not seen and have 
believed ” — John xx. 

Before ffiotittnunfon. 

Nothing can suppress thi longing desire of 
some of us to have lived in the time of our 
Lord. We may be shown our greater advan- 
tages, but the feeling remains that had we been 
able to kneel at His feet, to meet the glance of 
His eye, to hear His voice, we should have 
been drawn to Him irresistibly and have loved 
Him with a devotednes? which, alas! we are 
sadly conscious is wanting now. 

Two thoughts may turn to account this harm- 
less if not very profitable desire. 

Let us transport ourselves in spirit to some 
spot where the Christian faith has not as yet 
been planted, but where some knowledge of Christ 
has reached, and imagine our lot to have been 
*7 B 


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i8 


WELCOME ! 


cast there. We have heard some fragments of 
the Gospel story, and how Christ, having finished 
the work of man’s redemption, still dwelt on 
earth in Christian lands to be the consolation 
and help of His followers to the end of time. 
That there the Sacrifice of Calvary was daily 
renewed for the washing away of daily sin. 
That there, though His face was not seen nor 
His voice heard, His Real Presence in the 
churches perpetuated His life and healing work 
among men. That He was there day and 
night to welcome all comers ; to listen with 
the same pitifulness as of old ; to comfort, to 
bless, and help all who approached Him. What 
would be the longing of our hearts to have been 
born in one of those favoured lands where we 
might have been numbered among His disciples, 
as truly as in the time of our Lord ! 

Again. Let us transport ourselves in thought 
to a place which by God’s mercy we all hope 
to reach some day — the land of fierce suffer- 
ing and weary waitings— the land of Purgatory. 
What, as we lie there in our helplessness, 
shall we think of the Tabernacle and the altar 
rails, of that “ day of the Lord ” when we were 
free to come and go in His Presence, to pour 
out our hearts before Him, to seek His help in 
every need ! No heart has ever longed for the 
visible Presence of Jesus during the Three and 


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THE WELCOME OF FAITH 


19 


Thirty Years as we shall long for the old graces 
in Mass and Communion in the time for ever 
past away. 

Shall we not profit by it while it lasts? 
“Behold now is the acceptable time: behold 
now is the day of salvation ” (2 Cor. vi.). “ Didst 
thou but know the Gift of God,” our Lord says 
to us, “there would be no room for hankering 
for the days of old, for Judea or Galilee. ,, Here 
on the altar is Bethlehem and Calvary. Here 
at the Communion rails we may welcome Jesus 
of Nazareth when we will, and fold Him to 
our heart, and cast ourselves upon His. 

Oh that I realised my own privileges as fully 
as I appreciate those of others ! Why should I 
envy the Jewish crowds, or the little household 
at Bethany, or even the Twelve? I have Thy 
words, dear Lord, to instruct and warm my 
heart, and, happier than the people of Thy own 
land, I can ponder them at leisure in the 
sacred pages that have preserved them for 
me. The very sound of Thy voice I may catch 
nowand again in “Talitha, cumi;” “Eloi, Eloi, 
lamma sabacthani ! ” I may come to Thee amid 
the bustle and heat of the day, or in the silence 
of night, to lay before Thee the perplexities, the 
eager questionings, the many needs of my soul. 
I may follow Thee from place to place like the 


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holy women, showing my love in practical form 
by ministering of my substance to Thee and 
Thine. I may receive Thee under my roof like 
the sisters at Bethany, and hear Thy words of 
love, or gentle warning, or reproach. I may 
commend to Thee in their need those who are 
dear to me and to Thee, and with loving famili- 
arity expostulate with Thee when Thou dost delay 
to hear my prayer. I may weep with Thee over 
the graves that have taken from me my dearest 
and my best, and listen with Martha to the 
promise that they shall be mine again one day. 
In my hours of desolation I may kneel beside 
Thee in the Garden and unite my petition with 
Thy strong cry and tears. When passion agitates 
me I may hasten to the pillar of the scourging 
or to the cross of shame, and draw into my soul 
the meekness of Thine. In every need Thy 
followers and Thy friends had recourse to Thee 
whilst Thou wert on earth. I may do the same. 
One thing alone is needed — faith. Sola fides 
tufficit. Faith alone suffices. Lord, increase my 
faith ! 

after fiEontmunton* 

Tantum ergo Sacramentum 
Ven&remur cemui : 

Down in adoration falling, 

Lo I the Sacred Host we hail ; 


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Praestetfides tupplementum 
Sensuum defectui. 

Faith for all defects supplying 

Where the feeble senses fail. 

Adoro te devote , latent Deitas, 

Quae sub hisfiguris vere latitat. 

In loving adoration unto Thee, 

0 Hidden God, I humbly bend my knee ; 

Beneath these lowly semblances concealed, 

To senses hid, to Faith alone revealed. 

Plagas , sicut Thomas f non intueor t 
Deum tamen meurn te confiteor ; 

Fao me tibi semper magis credere , 

In te spem habere , te diligei'e. 

1 cannot see Thee, Jesu glorified, 

Nor touch Thy wounded hands and riven side ; 

Yet with St. Thomas at Thy feet I fall, 

And worship Thee, “ My Lord, my God, my all .” 1 

M Blessed are they that have not seen and have 
believed Yet Thou hadst said, dear Lord, 
"Blessed are the eyes that see the things that 
you see.” Truly blessed were the eyes that 
saw what kings and prophets had longed to see, 
the Face that Angels desire to see. What, then, 
must be the happiness which transcends blessed- 
ness such as this — what my happiness now I 
What the reward of faith when, the time of 
trial over, the veils drop and it meets Thee 
face to face 1 

1 Fr. Tyrrell, SJ. 


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And faith is blessed even now. For its 
patience, its hope, its strong anchorage on 
God in spite of difficulties and obscurities and 
the human pride which resents these things — 
all this is worship. It is the worship of Himself 
that God has chosen. From the beginning, O 
Lord, Thou hast made faith the road of access 
to Thee, and the only road. Along that path 
all Thy holy ones have journeyed. It was in 
reward of their faith that the blind saw, the deaf 
heard, the lepers were cleansed during Thy life 
on earth; that sinners through all time have 
been forgiven; that the just have persevered 
to the end. If I believe, and in proportion to 
my belief, I may hope great things of Thee. 
Lord, increase my faith. Give me the faith 
of the generations of saints who never looked 
upon Thy face on earth — the faith of Agnes, 
and Augustine, and Teresa, and Thomas of 
Aquin, and Ignatius. They are my brothers 
and sisters in the Kingdom of God, not separated 
from me by an impassable chasm, but linked with 
me like travellers on the same road, ready to 
bear me up when I stumble or falter, to sustain 
me when I faint, to speak to me in hours of dark- 
ness of the light on the other side of the distant 
hills. Like me they once walked by faith. They 
had their seasons of trial and depression. They 
were supported all through their pilgrimage on 


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earth by the Sacramental Presence that is with 
me now. 

Lord, increase my faith. With Thomas I fall 
down before Thee, my Lord and my God. With 
Peter and with Martha I acknowledge Thee for 
the Christ, the Son of the living God. Let 
nothing ever cloud my faith. Rather let it 
go on brightening till it brings me into the 
perfect Day. May every genuflection before 
Thy Tabernacle, every visit to Thee, every 
reception of Thee, glorify Thee by my faith. I 
am glad, my God, to give Thee the submission 
of my mind no less than the love of my heart. I 
am glad to serve Thee at my own cost for the 
little space of my life on earth. Only up to 
the gates of eternity wilt Thou ask for my faith. 
Once within those gates — what a change, what a 
revelation ! My eyes shall see the King in His 
Beauty. I shall see Thy glory, and be satisfied. 
As I fall before Thine unveiled Face, how I shall 
thank Thee for the gift of faith on earth 1 

Jr.su, quern vdatum nunc aspicio , 

Oro , fiat illud quod tarn sitio; 

Ut te revdata cemens facie, 

Visu sim beatus tuae gloriae. 

O Jesu, whom by faith I now descry, 

Veiled as Thou liest here from mortal eye ; 

When wilt Thou grant the longing of my heart, 
Thirsting to see and know Thee as Thou art; 


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To see Thee face to face in endless day. 

When Faith shall cease and shadows flee away 
To share Thy Blessedness without alloy, 

To glory in Thy glory and Thy joy 1 1 

Oblation and Petition, p. io. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 

1 Fr. Tyrrell, S.J. 


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THE WELCOME OF FAITH 

II 


“Lord, I believe ; help Thou mine unbelief” 


Before Communion* 

Faith, a lively faith, would cure all our spiritual 
diseases and supply all our needs. It was the 
one thing our Lord required in those who came 
to Him petitioning for favours when He was on 
earth. It is what He wants of us all now. “ He 
could not do many miracles there because of their 
unbelief/ 1 we are told, as if this evil disposition 
tied His hands and restricted even His Omni- 
potence. On the other hand, He said to the father 
who implored Him to heal his lunatic son : “ If 
thou canst believe, all things are possible to them 
that believe. ,, He speaks as if the answer to our 
prayers was in our own hands rather than in His. 
This poor father had said : “If Thou canst do any- 
thing, help us, having compassion on us. Jesus 
saith to him: If thou canst believe, all things 

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are possible. Immediately the father of the boy, 
crying out with tears, said : I do believe ; Lord, 
help my unbelief. And the child was cured from 
that hour.” 

From our Lord’s words we see that He knows 
faith is a difficulty to us ; that He tries to bring 
us to a lively faith by holding out its reward ; 
that faith obtains all it wills from Him. 

He understands the difficulty faith is to us. 
Hemmed in as we are by the things of sense, it 
is hard to realise that these are not what we take 
them to be, that though we see and handle them 
every day, and they seem solid and lasting, they are 
as shadows compared with things unseen, the reali- 
ties amid which we shall be living before many 
years are passed. 

It is hard to bring home to ourselves the facA 
that day and night, sleeping and waking, we are 
under the Eye of One who is more present to us 
than we are to ourselves. That in Him we live 
and move, and are, and employ every faculty of 
soul and body. That leaving to us the unfettered 
exercise of freewill, His Providence overrules all 
our actions to the accomplishment of its designs. 
That it permits pain, sorrow, moral evil even, 
' and makes all work together for the good of the 
elect. That not a hair of our head falls to the 
ground without His knowledge. That little and 
miserable as we know ourselves to be, we are 


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unspeakably dear and precious in the sight of 
our Heavenly Father, always welcome when we 
come to Him, and never more so than when we 
bring Him sin to be forgiven. 

It is hard to realise that the same blessed 
Presence that sanctified the cottage of Nazareth 
is in every Catholic church to-day ; not in figure, 
but in deed and in truth. That He who walked 
by the Lake with His twelve chosen companions, 
ate and drank with them, slept when He was 
weary, prayed when He was in trouble, wept 
when He had lost a friend, came joyfully where 
a welcome awaited Him, sorrowed when His own 
received Him not — that He is still on earth, in 
our midst, Body and Blood and Soul and Divinity, 
unchanged in character, with the same tenderness 
and affectionateness that endeared Him to the 
friends of His life on earth. 

These truths are hard to grasp with the living 
hold which makes them part of ourselves. Hence 
our Lord says to us : “ If thou canst believe.” 
What have we in answer but the words of the 
Jewish father : “I do believe ; Lord, help mine 
unbelief." 

He is ready and glad to help, but here, as 
everywhere, His way is to help those who help 
themselves. How do we help ourselves ? By the 
quiet pondering of what we hold by faith. It is 
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asks of us, but the pondered act of faith. Close 
to my heart after Communion is the Heart that 
loved me unto death ; that has spent itself for 
me in all manner of labours and sacrifices ; 
that has employed every winning device to gain 
my love ; that has been pained by my ingratitude ; 
that asks me now to make amends for the past 
by returning it love for love. Can I make my act 
of faith as to these motives one by one, and not 
desire at least to make Him the return He 
asks? 

My God, I most firmly believe that I am about 
to hold within my heart that Heart of Thine 
which loved me unto the death of the cross. I 
believe in its love for me. Not all my weakness 
and unworthiness, not all my falls shall make me 
doubt Thy love. It is for such as I am that the 
miracle of the Blessed Sacrament is wrought. 
It is to bring within my reach a remedy for every 
need of my soul. I believe, Lord, I believe ; help 
Thou my unbelief. Thou knowest my difficulties 
better than I know them myself. Thou knowest 
how the cares of this life, which I take up every 
morning, weigh me down and absorb my thoughts, 
and leave but little room for the memory of Thee 
and the things that concern my soul. It is for 
this very reason that I come to Thee. It is to 
cast all my care on Thee ; to put my soul into 


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Thy keeping; to trust to Thee my trials and 
temptations, the busy hand and brain, all my life's 
work to be lifted up and made holy and merit- 
orious for heaven by union with Thine, by being 
done for Thee. I believe in Thy Real Presence 
because Thou hast said it. Remember Thy word : 
“ All things are possible to him that believeth,” 
and let the healing of my soul be the reward of 
my faith. 


after Communion. 

I bow myself down to adore Thee, 0 God my 
Saviour, the same who at the word : u Lord, I 
believe,” didst heal the J ewish father's afflicted 
child — the very same. Lord, I believe, and 
falling down I adore Thee. 

“Adore Him, all you His angels” (Ps xcvi.). 
“ Exalt ye the Lord our God ” (Ps. xcviii.). u Adore 
the Lord our God and give thanks to Him” 
(Tobias xi.). 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants, 
and you that fear Him, little and great ” (Apoc. 
xix.). 

“ Sing praises to our God, sing ye ; sing praises 
to our King, sing ye ” (Ps. xlvi.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and for 
ever and ever” (Ps. xlvii.). 

" Thou art worthy, 0 Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power ” (Apoc. iv.). 


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“Amen. Benediction, and glory, and thanks- 
giving, honour, and power, and strength to our 
God for ever and ever. Amen ” (Apoc. vii.). 

Thy healing touch, O Lord, which did so much 
for that poor suffering boy, can do much for me. 
I believe it will do much. I hope in Thee, build- 
ing my trust on Thy compassion and Thy love. 
Suffering and troubled, I place myself beneath 
Thy hands. “ If Thou canst do anything,” said 
the boy\s father. I know, 0 Lord, that Thou 
canst do all things, that it will cost Thee but a 
word to help me. I know too that Thou art 
more eager to give Thy help than I am to ask it. 
I love and thank Thee for Thy goodness, and 
commit myself to Thee. 

Thanks be to Thee for the unmerited gift of 
faith to which I owe Thy Real Presence with me 
now. Lord, increase my faith, for in proportion 
as it grows, will hope and love grow with it. 
Help me to lead a life worthy of my faith, a 
life permeated and vivified throughout by faith. 
Give me faith to see Thy hand in all that happens, 
to turn suffering to profit, to look at the passing 
things of time in the light of eternity, and live 
for the life that is to come. 

“Lord, increase our faith.” This was the 
prayer of Thy Apostles, the prayer of all the 
Saints. All their grand service of Thee, all their 


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merits, all the power of their prayer, their 
influence for good, their love of Thee here, their 
joy in Thee throughout eternity, sprang from 
that germ, small once as the grain of mustard 
seed, the faith of their baptism, the faith of the 
one true Church. 

I too am a child of the Church. I too have 
the faith once delivered to the Saints. My God, 
let it fructify in my heart as in theirs. Increase 
my faith. Give me the faith that will remove 
mountains, that will clear away every obstacle 
between myself and Thee, that will win from 
Thee at last that word of praise — “ Great is thy 
faith.” 

Oblation and Petition , p. io. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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1 


“ Know , therefore , this day , and think in thy heart , 
that the Lord He is God .” — Deut. iv. 


Before Communion. 

Herein is my fittest, most fruitful preparation 
for Communion, commended to me by God Him- 
self — to ponder in my heart this tremendous 
truth, that He who comes to me — is God ! 

Thou art small, my Heart, very small ; there is 
no room in thee at this moment for any other 
thought, if this thought so high, so deep, so vast 
on every side, is to enter in and take possession 
of thee. Cast out, then, all images of this earth ; 
curtain closely the entrance to His sanctuary, 
that no noise from without may reach to trouble 
thee. Concentrate all thy powers upon this 
thought — He who comes to thee is God: who 
had no beginning ; to whom all time is a point ; 

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who inhabits light inaccessible ; who, in a sense, 
has no perfections, but is Himself the one 
infinite Perfection. 

“ Maker of heaven and earth and of all things 
visible and invisible. ” “ The Lord of the whole 

creation” (Judith ix.) ; in whom are found as in 
their principle the types of all created, of all 
possible things. “ Behold, heaven is the Lord 
thy God’s, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, 
and all things that are therein” (Deut. x.). 
Of whom are all form and colour; all harmony 
and fragrance ; all goodness, and truth, and 
beauty ; all majesty and holiness ; all love and 
fidelity; all tenderness and sweetness; all rest- 
fulness and peace — whatsoever of fairness and 
fecundity and beneficence is possessed by created 
things ; “who is overall things, God blessed for 
ever” (Rom. ix.). 

He who comes to me is Jesus Christ, “the 
Only-Begotten Son of God, born of the Father 
before all ages ; God of God ; Light of Light ; 
very God of very God ; begotten, not made ; con- 
substantial with the Father ; by whom all things 
were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, 
descended from heaven. And was incarnate by 
the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary; and was 
made man. Was crucified also for us; suffered 
under Pontius Pilate and was buried. And the 
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THE WELCOME OF A CREATURE 37 

And ascended into heaven ; sits at the right hand 
of the Father. And again He shall come with 
glory to judge the living and the dead ; of whose 
kingdom there shall be no end.” 

He comes, who to save me, and win me, and 
bring me to His kingdom took my nature, and 
in that nature suffered, and in that nature waits 
for me now at the right hand of the Father. For 
me, as if there were no other, He was made man. 
For me, as if there were no other, he laid down 
His life upon the cross. For me He rose again 
and ascended into heaven. For me He pleads 
there and prepares my place. “ Behold thy 
Saviour cometh ” (Isa. lxii.). “ Amen. Come, 
Lord Jesus ” (Apoc. xxii.). 

He who comes to me is “the Lord and life- 
giver; who proceeds from the Father and the 
Son ; who together with the Father and the Son 
is adored and glorified.” “ My Spirit shall be in 
the midst of you ; fear not ” (Aggeus ii.). 
“The Spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee, 
and thou shalt be changed into another man ” 
(1 Kings x.). 

“Oh how hast Thou magnified Thy mercy, O 
God” (Ps. xxv.). 

“ What shall I render to the Lord for all that 
He hath rendered to me?” (Ps. cxv.). 

“ Let all Thy works, O Lord, praise Thee, and 
let all Thy saints bless Thee ” (Ps. cxliv.). 


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Sifter Communion. 

Glory to God in the highest. 

Glory to God for a condescension greater than 
the humiliations of Bethlehem or of Calvary. 
For beneath the swathing bands, and on the 
cross, there was a self-assertion and a freedom 
He has denied Himself in the Host. There 
He had the worship of Mary, the love and 
loyalty of a few faithful souls. But here ! 
Lord, whence is this to me that Thou shouldst 
come to me? Glory to Thee in the highest, in 
the Bosom of the Father from eternity. Glory 
to Thee in the lowest abasement to which Thy 
love constrains Thee, in Thy coming to-day — 
to me. 

And on earth peace to men of goodioill. 

Peace to this soul of mine to which the Prince 
of Peace has come. 

Peace; for with all my poverty, weakness, 
inconstancy, I hope I have goodwill. On this 
Thou canst build, O Lord ; if I can bring Thee 
this, Thou wilt be content. But goodwill to be 
genuine, must follow the lead of Thy grace, must 
be ready for effort and self-sacrifice. And I 
am weak. Give me strength, O Lord. I have 
desires as Thou knowest, but when the time 
comes for action, when opportunities offer of 
serving Thee at my own cost, I hang back. 


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THE WELCOME OF A CREATURE 39 

And so I am for ever “ halting between two 
sides” (3 Kings xviii.), uneasy, dissatisfied, for 
who hath resisted Thee and hath had peace? 
I ask for strength, 0 Lord. Thou hast given 
me desires; give me what is as easy to Thee 
to give — the force to carry them into effect. 
So shall I deserve the peace promised to men 
of goodwill. 

We 'praise Thee ; we bless Thee ; we adore Thee ; 
we glorify Thee. 

“I and my soul will rejoice in Him,” said 
Tobias (Tobias xiii.). As if in the fulness of his 
heart he would multiply himself that he might 
multiply praise; desiring impossibilities, like 
Mary when she would magnify the Lord. I 
and my soul will rejoice in Thee, 0 God my 
Saviour, here truly present with me. We praise 
Thee for what Thou art in Thyself. We bless 
Thee for all Thou art to us. We adore Thee 
as our Creator and our God, as the most 
mighty God” (Gen. xlvi.) ; “Lord of the whole 
creation” (Judith ix.); “Who hast made heaven 
and earth and all things that are under the 
cope of heaven” (Esther xiii.). We glorify Thee 
as an Infant laid in a manger. And in that 
last resort of Thy condescension, the Host within 
my breast. 

We give Thee thanks for Thy greed glory. 

For Thine infinite compassion for the work of 


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Thy hands, and the marvels Thou hast wrought 
for us in Thy Redemption, Thy Church, Thy 
Sacraments ; in the Eucharist wherein Thou hast 
made a memorial of all Thy wonderful works. 
But most of all for Thy great glory, O Lord 
God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. 
O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son. 
44 Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our Father from 
eternity to eternity. Thine, O Lord, is magni- 
ficence, and power, and glory, and victory : and 
to Thee is praise : for all that is in heaven 
and in earth is Thine: Thine is the Kingdom, 
O Lord, and Thou art above all princes. Thine 
are riches, and Thine is glory; Thou hast do- 
minion over all ; in Thy hand is power and 
might; in Thy hand greatness and the empire 
of all things. Now, therefore, our God, we give 
thanks to Thee, and we praise Thy glorious 
name” (i Par. xxix.). 

Oblation . Petition , pp. 169, 171. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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II 


De profundis. 


Before Communion. 

My God, I wish that after Communion I could 
sink, sink, sink before Thee till I should reach 
that point of self-abasement which corresponds 
with the fundamental nothingness of the crea- 
ture. That from this depth I might adore 
Thee, and that the recognition of the infinite 
distance between us might be accepted by Thy 
Divine Majesty as fitting adoration and praise. 
I unite myself with all those who through the 
help of Thy Light have reached that depth of 
lowliness. With the heavenly hierarchies, sink- 
ing lower and lower in Thy Presence as they 
are nobler, nearer to Thee, more loving, more 
beloved : with the sublime spirits who veil 
themselves before Thy Face: with the four-and- 

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twenty ancients who cast their crowns at Thy 
feet: with that Handmaid of Thine who adores 
Thee from depths of abasement not given to 
us to sound or even conceive : with Thy Co- 
Eternal Son, very God of very God, who as 
Man annihilates Himself before Thee. From my 
place as a creature, in union with all creatures, 
I worship Thee, my God. De profundis clamavi 
ad Te, Domine / 

Is there a lower depth than this ? Can 
anything be beyond and beneath nothingness? 
Yes. That abyss if deep is not dark. It means 
infinite distance between the creature and the 
Creator, but the distance does not divide. On 
the contrary, it implies a relation, a drawing 
together by the correspondence between pleni- 
tude and need. But sin is black and repulsive, 
its final consequence utter and eternal separa- 
tion of the Creator from the work of His 
hands. 

What is sin? It is the practical denial of 
God’s claims to our obedience. It is the de- 
liberate turning against Him of the gifts we 
have received from His hand. And this while 
still clinging to that hand for life and the 
enjoyment of all life brings. This is what I 
have done when I sinned. This is that lower 
depth above which I see the level of simple 


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THE WELCOME OF A CREATURE 43 

creaturehood lying far above me, the sunlight 
of God’s love upon it. De profundis clamavi ad 
Te, Domine I 

There is yet another depth, the outcome 
of the other two — the depth of need. The 
creature’s need is absolute. It has nothing of 
its own. Even the gift of itself is for ever 
dependent on the Creator’s Will. The natural 
life of its immortal spirit is indeed irrevocable 
in the sense that only by the same act of omni- 
potence that called it into being can it be with- 
drawn. But all that goes to make true life, 
life that deserves the name, the happiness that 
results from the full activity and satisfaction of 
all its powers — all this is the creature’s need. 
It is the vast ocean bed that He who created 
it alone can filL Abyssus abyssum invocat. De 
profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine l 

But how can I fathom the need into which 
sin has plunged me ? Of myself I have nothing, 
nothing wherewith to satisfy the cravings of 
my immortal soul. God is the End for which 
I was created, which I must attain, or pine for 
everlastingly in fruitless desire. And I have cut 
myself away from Him ! What words can tell 
my need of that mercy which will bring Him 
once more within my reach! Abyssus abyssum 
invocat. De profundis clamavi ad Te , Domine l 


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Sfter (Communion. 

“ 0 Lord, Lord, Almighty King, all things are 
in Thy power. Thou hast made heaven and 
earth and all things that are under the cope 
of heaven. Thou art Lord of all, and there is 
none that can resist Thy Majesty” (Esther xiii.). 

Whence is this to me that my Lord should 
come to me? 

Down, down, I sink in His Presence, like a 
speck floating through space from the most 
distant star. Down, down, till I reach the 
creature’s place, the point whence it sprang 
from nothingness at the Creator’s word. Oh 
that that depth were all! But deeper and 
darker than the void of nothingness is the 
abyss of sin. And into that depth His hand 
has reached — to save me. And to that misery 
His Heart has drawn Him — to love me. And 
to that degradation He has stooped — to raise 
me even to Himself. 

44 Give praise to our God, all ye His servants, 
and you that fear Him, little and great” 
(Apoc. xix.). 

“ For He that is mighty hath done great 
things to me, and holy is His Name (Luke i.). 

“What shall I render to the Lord for all He 
hath rendered unto me? (Ps. cxv,). 


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THE WELCOME OF A CREATURE 45 

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that 
is within me bless His holy Name. Bless the 
Lord, O my soul, and never forget all He hath 
done for thee” (Ps. cii.). 

“ Praise ye the Lord from the heavens. Praise 
ye Him, all His Angels : praise ye Him, all His 
hosts” (Ps. cxlviii.). 

“Sing to Him, yea, sing praises to Him. Re- 
member His marvellous works which He hath 
done” (Ps. civ.). 

“ Give glory to the Lord for He is good ; for 
His mercy endureth for ever” (Ps. cv.). 

De profundis. Terrible, my God, is the voice of 
sin going up discordant and defiant to the throne 
of Thy Majesty ; going up at all hours — through- 
out the busy day, in the stillness of night. Yet 
I rejoice in the thought that it falls short, in- 
finitely short, of the calm heights where in light 
inaccessible Thou dwellest, and no more troubles 
their serenity than the report or the smoke of 
our cannon perturbs the distant stars. I re- 
joice again in my littleness that limits my own 
power of offence. Thanks to my finite nature, 
I am not capable of an infinite act. Yet through 
the gift to me of Thyself I have control over 
what is infinite. Therefore my reparation can be 
greater than my wrong-doing. I have done evil 
before Thee, yet not with malice that is infinite. 


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But with Christ in my heart I can give Thee 
infinite honour and glory. Thanks be to Thee 
for Thy unspeakable Gift! In atonement for 
my thanklessness I offer to Thee the praise of 
Thy well-beloved Son. In reparation for the 
indignity with which I have treated Thee, for 
all my irreverence in Thy Presence, I offer Thee 
Him who was heard for His reverence. In 
place of the service due to Thee, which, alas, 
I have so long withheld, I offer Thee the in- 
finite value of His works who did always the 
things that please Thee. For all my coldness, 
my heedlessness and heartlessness towards Thee, 
my Creator and my Father, I offer Thee the 
infinite love of Thy dearly beloved Son, all the 
zeal of His service, all the labours and suffering 
of His life on earth, all His conformity with 
Thy Will which was the rule of His every 
thought, and word, and deed. Look upon the 
Face of Thy Christ, and look upon me in love 
and in pity for His sake. 

Oblation . Petition, pp. 169, 171, 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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I 


“ Is not He thy Father that hath possessed thee , and 
made thee % and created thee ? ” — Deut. xxxii. 


Before (Tommumon. 

Thebe, yonder, within the tabernacle that I 
could all but gird with my arms, is contained — 
all that is ; the God of whom, by whom, in whom 
are all things; “the God of my life” (Ecclus. 
xxiii.) ; “ the God who has my breath in His 
hand ” (Dan. v.). 

And this God is my Father. To the tie that 
binds me to Him as His creature and servant 
He has superadd ed that of sonship. u Servant of 
God ” is a title so grand and ennobling, that He 
Himself gives it to His special favourites : “ My 
servant Abraham” (Gen. xxvi.); “My servant 
Jacob” (Isa. xliv.); “ My servant Moses” (Hum. 
xii.); “ My servant Job” (Job xlii.). Again and 

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5 ° 

again He makes His promises affectionately “ for 
the sake of My servant David ” (3 Kings xi.). 

In the New Law, the Law of love, We find our 
Lord’s chosen companions and friends glorying in 
fche name of servants : “ Simon Peter, servant 
and apostle of Jesus Christ”; “Paul, a servant 
of Jesus Christ.” But this link was not close 
enough for the love of Him who gave us His only 
Son to be our Brother. “ Behold what manner 
of charity the Father hath bestowed on us that 
we should be called and should be the sons of 
God” (John iii.), cries out John, the beloved, the 
only one among the Apostles who in his Epistles 
does not call himself by the name of servant. 
“ Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God,” 
he exclaims exultingly. “ Therefore now we are 
not servants, but sons ” (idem). 

“Father” is the name put upon our lips by 
our Lord Himself. And it confers all that it 
signifies: “If sons, heirs also” (Gal. iv.). It 
gives us a right to come before our Heavenly 
Father as “most dear children” (Eph. v.), to 
cry in all our needs: “Abba, Father!” The 
father is the bread-giver of the family. We cry 
to our Father in Heaven for our daily bread, for 
the food of the soul no less than for the food ot 
the body. The cry of our heart is for Himself : 
“O God, my God, to Thee do I watch from the 
daybreak. For Thee my soul hath thirsted” 


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(P8. lxii.). “ As the hart panteth for the water- 
brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee ” (Ps. xli.). 

“ And He gave them their desire ; they were 
not defrauded of that which they craved. . . . He 
gave them the Bread of heaven. Man ate the 
Bread of Angels ” (Ps. lxxvii.). Thou dost feed 
Thy people with the food of Angels, and gavest 
them bread from heaven prepared without labour, 
having in it all that is delicious, and the sweetness 
of every taste. For Thy sustenance showed Thy 
sweetness to Thy children. . . . Thy children, O 
Lord, whom Thou lovest” (Wisd. xvi.). 

A child preparing for First Communion said : 
14 1 think it’s very wonderful that God should be 
our food ; because, you know,” she added hesitat- 
ingly, “He mightn’t have liked it.” Now and 
again there comes to us as to this child a 
momentary glimpse of the bewildering depth to 
which our God descends in this mystery. And 
then, like a flash of light, it is gone ; and we 
look up to Him in the Host, and He comes to us 
at the altar-rails, and the veil is as thick as ever, 
and all we can do is to cry our “Credo,” and 
wait for the day when the reward of that “ Credo ” 
shall be the face to face Vision of Himself. 

“This is God, our God” (Ps. xlvii.). Not by 
the lightest unguarded step may love trench on 


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reverence. But among the acts of reverence, 
the Infinite Majesty of God does not hold aloof- 
ness. We are at once creatures at the feet of 
our Creator, and royal children gathered round 
our Father’s knee, treating familiarly with Him, 
carrying to him all our needs, sporting in His 
presence, all the happier because His eye is upon 
us, because that eye sees the inmost heart. His 
own infinite perfection is His all-sufficing glory. 
He dispenses with the formalities of earthly courts 
and contents Himself with the simple homage of 
the lowliest of His subjects, the very youngest of 
His children. 

My God, I am not surprised at many of the 
marvels faith teaches me concerning Thee — Thy 
Self-existence, Thy Eternity, Thy Omnipotence, 
Thy Infinitude in all perfection. But that Thou, 
Thine own Beatitude, shouldst be so enamoured 
of me, Thy little creature, this is incomprehensible, 
almost beyond belief. What joy that it is part 
of my belief, that this, among other mysteries, is 
included in my “ Credo,” that coming trembling 
to unite myself to Thee, I hear Thee saying: 
“ With desire I have desired.” 

Come, then, my Father, come to such a welcome 
as I can give Thee. Stoop indulgently to receive 
my worship, my thanksgiving, my loyalty, and 
my love. 


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Sftcr ffiotntmtnton. 

“ Blessed be the Lord for this day 99 (3 Kings 
v -)- 

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee” (Ps. cii). 

“Give praise to our God, all ye His servants, 
and you that fear Him, little and great 99 (Apoc. 
xix.). 

“ Praise ye the Lord, for He is good ; sing ye to 
His name, for it is sweet” (Ps. cxxxiv.). 

“For He hath satisfied the empty soul, and hath 
filled the hungry soul with good things ” (Ps. cvi.). 

“Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power 99 (Apoc. iv.). 

“Amen. Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, 
thanksgiving, honour, and power, and strength 
to our God for ever and ever. Amen” (Apoc. 
vii.). 

Oh that I could at all realise the tremendous 
truth that I have in my heart as my own possession, 
my Creator and my Father ; Him from whom I 
came; to whom I am returning; who holds in 
His hands my eternal destiny; with whom I 
have relations closer by far than those which 
link me with any creature ! A trusted servant, 
a confidant, a friend, a beloved child — all this I 
am to the God who made me. Have I not cause 


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for the gladdest worship, for the willing tender of 
all I have and am, for offers of service that have 
no limit except such as my littleness and feeble- 
ness impose 1 

My God, who wouldst have me call Thee Father, 
teach me to reverence, love, and serve Thee as 
my Father. Put into my heart all Thou hast a 
right to expect from Thy child. Give me the 
high thoughts of the children of God, who set Thy 
glory and service before them as the goal of all 
their desires, who comport themselves at once as 
faithful servants and “most dear children.” I 
earnestly desire to fulfil the first and greatest of 
Thy commandments — to love Thee with my whole 
heart and soul, with all my mind and with all 
my strength. Let me love Thee with my whole 
heart and soul by consecrating to Thee all my affec- 
tions. Be first in my heart always. If I cannot 
love Thee with the ardour I shall some day, may 
I at least honour Thee by that love of preference 
which puts Thee and Thy rights before all other 
persons and claims. Let me love Thee with all 
my mind by tending to Thee in all my thoughts 
and works, directing them, not to any selfish end, 
but to the hallowing of Thy Name and the accom- 
plishment of Thy Will in the duties of my state of 
life. Let me love Thee with all my strength, by 
persevering effort to bring my will into con- 
formity with Thine, in spite of frailty and falls 


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Let me love, not in word and in tongue, but in 
deed and in truth. Make me relish hard work 
in Thy service, and be ready for personal in- 
convenience and sacrifice in Thy interests, the 
interests of the Church and of souls. 

O my Father, when I come Home from my long 
journey, take me into Thy arms, and lay my head 
down on Thy breast, and make up to me for all 
the long absence from Thee, the weary groping 
after Thee, the fear of never reaching Thee, of 
which life has been full ; for the distance between 
us caused by my sinfulness; for the miserable 
service of Thee which is partly my fault, and 
partly, O my Creator, the result of the frail 
nature Thy hands have made. As I lie there, 
folded fast to Thy breast, let my first nestling to 
Thee, my first happy tears, be to Thee the long- 
deferred adoration and thanksgiving and repara- 
tion and filial love, which in Thy Fatherly 
compassion Thou wilt account compensation for 
the past. 

Oblation. Petition, , pp. 169, 171. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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II 


u The same is my brother , and sister , and 
mother .” — Matt. xii. 


Before Communtott, 

Dearest to us among the attributes of our God 
is His Fatherhood. He cannot help being our 
Father : 11 Is not He thy Father, that hath 
possessed thee, and made thee, and created 
thee?” (Deut. xxxii.). It is as our Father that 
we are to have recourse to Him. He is not 
merely the source of life and energy, a distant 
Governor, the Judge of the living and the dead. 
Hot merely our Creator. But our true, loving, 
solicitous Father, who has made us by adoption 
what His only-begotten Son is by nature, “the 
sons of God,” and co-heirs with Him who is the 
“ First-born among many brethren.” 

Yet even this loving name of Father does not 

exhaust our claims upon His love. He tells us 
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to think of Him in all manner of incompatible 
relations, as lover, brother, sister, mother. “ Thou 
hast wounded My Heart, My sister, My -spouse ” 
(Cant. iv.). li Whosoever shall do the Will of My 
Father that is in Heaven, he is My brother, and 
sister, and mother. ,, 

Each of these relations implies a peculiar and 
distinct love, and all are found united in Him. 
There is the love of a brother, devoted, cherish- 
ing, protecting ; the mother’s love, vigilant, self- 
sacrificing, indulgent, with a boundless compassion 
for every weakness and misfortune ; the love of 
sister and of spouse, with their special characteris- 
tics and sweetness — all that is beautiful in human 
love, intensified to an inconceivable degree. 

What is there in me to attract love such as 
this? Nay, rather, how is it that even such 
consuming love as Thine, O Lord, is not extin- 
guished by contact with my frozen heart? St. 
Teresa was willing that others should be above 
her in glory, but she did not think she could be 
content to know that any one loved Thee more 
than she did. A quite contrary desire would 
become me. Knowing the wretchedness of my 
love and service, I ought by rights to wish that 
every creature of Thine should love Thee more 
than I. And yet, Lord, I cannot desire this. I 
could not bear that the multitudes who have 
received less, immeasurably less from Thy hand 


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than I hare, should love Thee more. At least I 
cannot bear to be the last and lowest in the ranks 
of those who love Thee. Rather will I entreat 
Thee, who canst do all things, to make my dull, 
cold heart more like that glowing heart of Teresa. 
It caught its flame from Thine. And Thou art 
coming to me now. Take my heart, inflame it 
by contact with Thine own, O God, who art a con- 
suming fire. 


Sifter ®0tntnuni0n. 

“ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.” 

“ Let all the earth adore Thee and sing to Thee” 
(Ps. lxv.). 

“ Let all Thy Angels and Saints bless Thee, and 
praise Thee, and glorify Thee for ever” (Dan. iii.). 

“ What shall I render to the Lord for all that 
He hath rendered to me ? ” (Ps. cxv.). 

“ Let all Thy works, O Lord, praise Thee, and 
let all Thy Saints bless Thee ” (Ps. cxliv.). 

My God, Thou art with me, and I am cold, and 
hard, and dry. 

As far as this comes of my want of faith, of 
appreciation of the honour Thou dost me, and of 
the love Thou showest me, I deplore it with all 
my heart. But inasmuch as it is a just punish- 
ment of my sins, a satisfaction that I may make 
for them, a pain I can bear for Thee, I resign 


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myself to it heartily. I have no right to the 
children’s bread ; the smallest crumbs, the driest 
crusts are more than I deserve. 

0 Infinite Love that comest to me, and comest 
willingly in spite of my unworthiness, no coldness, 
nor hardness, nor sense of punishment, nor pain, 
shall hinder me from presenting myself before 
Thee to offer Thee, just as it is, this poor heart of 
mine which Thou hast come so far to seek. 

1 trust Thee, my God, to bring victory out of 
weakness, peace at last out of a long and weary 
fight, the realisation of Thy designs out of my 
mistakes and my sinfulness. 

What is there, my Father and best of friends, 
that I shall fear to trust to Thee ? 

My past? I am sorry for everything in it 
that has displeased or even disappointed Thee. 
I know that I have sinned against Thee. But 
Thy dearly beloved Son offers Himself daily for 
me in the Mass, a Victim able to cancel the sins 
of a thousand worlds, and in Holy Communion 
He helps me again and again to make my acts 
of contrition. 

My present 1 I know that my daily sins and 
infidelities may well make Thee turn away Thy 
face from me. But in the Holy Sacrifice and in 
my Communions I offer Thee a full satisfaction for 
all my shortcomings. 

My future ? Oh no, my Father, to whom could 


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I trust it but to Thee ! I know that I have cause 
to fear Thy judgments, and I do fear them, else 
should I not be safe. But my trust is greater 
than my fear, for my fear is based on myself, but 
my trust on Thee. 

Look then, O Lord, upon the face of Thy Christ, 
who has given Himself a redemption for me, and 
in my Father’s house has prepared a place for me. 
Look on Thy beloved Son in whom Thou art well 
pleased, and for His sake look on me with pity 
and with love. Hot only forgive the past and 
the present, but give so abundantly in the future, 
that before my death I may have made good all 
my losses, and satisfied Thee, my God ! 

Oblation and Petition , , p. io. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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I 

“ I am not come to call the just , but sinners 
— Matt. ix. 


Before Communion. 

“Why doth your Master eat and drink with 
publicans and sinners?” said the Scribes and 
Pharisees to the Twelve, when at Matthew’s 
feast “many publicans and sinners sat down 
together with J esus and His disciples. And J esus 
hearing this, said : They that are in health need 
not a physician, but they that are ill. ... I am 
not come to call the just, but sinners.” 

Notice how quickly our Lord makes reply. 
He answers Himself, not only to free His disciples 
from a difficulty, but because He willed that no 
lips but His own should give the reply to a question 
that so nearly concerns each one of us, a question 
that gave Him an opportunity of showing His 

love for the outcast and the despised, and of 
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drawing them to Himself by words more winning 
than any that the most tender of His servants 
could have framed. 

He did not repudiate the charge of being the 
Friend of publicans and sinners. On the contrary, 
He welcomed it. The cavillers did Him a service 
who made it a reproach and spread it far and 
wide. It was no calumny, but a blessed truth, 
and He had nothing more at heart than to see 
it credited by every human heart that had gone 
astray. 

Do not Thy predilections, 0 Lord, refute our 
arguments for abstaining from Communion on 
the ground of our unworthiness ? Thou hast not 
changed since the days of Thy life on earth. Thy 
pleasure still is to be among the sinful and the 
weak. Should they not flock around Thee now 
as then, now as then “ make haste and receive 
Thee with joy ” ? 

O God, it is hard at times not to despair of my 
heart ! If only Thou hadst not done so much for 
me ; or if the Incarnation and the Eucharist were 
wonders wrought for mankind in general and not 
for me individually, with special reference to my 
needs, out of a personal love of me ! Or if Thou 
wert less patient and forbearing ! But, knowing 
Thee by experience to be what Thou art, how 
can I offend thee as I do and feel it so little? 
It is not that I do not love Thee, my God ; Thou 


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THE WELCOME OF A SINNER 65 

knowest that I love Thee. Yet where are the 
signs that when love is present betray it on every 
side ? My heart ought to be broken when I think 
of my sins. It should overflow in praise and 
thanksgiving at the sight of all Thou hast done 
and daily dost for me. It should be wrung with 
sorrow at the sight of outrages committed against 
Thee. It ought to pant with desire when I think 
of the hour when I shall appear before Thy face 
and see Thee as Thou art. 

My God, had I the power over my heart which 
Thou hast, things, I think, would be different. 
Yet there must be a good side to this humiliating 
state if, being able to work a change, Thou 
leavest me as I am. There may be more true 
worship as I kneel cold and mute at Thy feet, 
than if I had all the sensible fervour I desire. 
And if this poor service satisfies Thee and is 
safer for me, I will be content to remain thus 
as long as Thou wilt, solicitous for one thing 
only — that this sense of distance from Thee shall 
not be due to conscious fault of mine. 


after {£0mmuntmT« 

“ I am the Lord your Holy One ” (Isa. xliiL). 

O great and holy God, I bow myself down in 
the dust before Thee. With the veiled Seraphim 
I adore Thee: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of 

B 


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hosts. “ 0 Lord my God, my Holy One ” (Hab. i.), 
how canst Thou come to me? How canst Thou 
bear union such as this with a soul like mine? 
With the centurion I confess : “ Lord, I am not 
worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof.” 
With Peter I ought to cry out : “ Depart from 
me, 0 Lord, for I am a sinner.” Yet I shall 
please Thee better if, with the disciples at 
Emmaus, I entreat Thee: “Stay with me, stay 
with me, O Lord ! ” It is by Thine own invita- 
tion that I have drawn near to Thee: “Come 
to Me all you that labour and are heavy 
burdened.” I may come, for I have a burden 
to lay at Thy feet. I may come, for Thy invita- 
tion is to all. 

I am sorry for whatever displeases Thee in my 
soul. I am sorry, not so much for any pain or 
hurt to myself that sin has brought, as for its 
outrage to Thy holiness. Wash me from my 
iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. “For 
Thou, 0 Lord, art sweet and mild, a God of 
compassion, patient, and of much mercy, and 
true ” (Ps. lxxxv.). Thou hast come to me to-day 
as my Food, that I may taste and see that the 
Lord is sweet. 

O sweetest Lord, remember that Thou hast 
come to call and draw to Thyself such as I am. 
Remember that if Thine eyes have seen sin in 
my soul, they have seen sorrow too. Remember 


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that a contrite and humble heart Thou hast never 


“ I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost ; 
seek Thy servant ” (Ps. cxviii.). 

“ Behold I Myself will seek My sheep, and will 
visit them. As the shepherd visiteth his flock, 
so will I visit My sheep, and will deliver them 
out of all the places where they have been 
scattered in the cloudy and dark day. I will 
feed them in the most fruitful pastures; there 
they shall rest on the green grass; I will feed 
My sheep; and I will cause them to lie down, 
saith the Lord God. I will seek that which 
was lost; and that which was driven away, I 
will bring again ; and I will bind up that which 
was broken, and I will strengthen that which 
was weak, and that which was fat and strong 
I will preserve” (Ezech. xxxiv.). 

0 Shepherd of my soul, what thanks shall 
I give Thee for having sought me so long and 
so unweariedly! Thou hast brought me out of 
the places where I was lost in the cloudy and dark 
day. Thou hast fed me with sweetest pasturage. 
Thou wilt have me to trust to Thee all my 
concerns, both spiritual and temporal, to cast 
all my care on Thee, resting in peace in the 
keeping of Thy Providence. And still I am 
afraid. That which was driven away Thou hast 


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brought back to Thee. But, O my Shepherd, I 
am wounded, I am weak. How shall my future 
be better than my past? “ I am Thine, save me.” 
(Ps. cxviii.). The resolutions so often broken I 
entrust to Thee. Let me find by experience that 
I can do all things in Him who strengthens me. 
Let me say in my gratitude and my joy : “ The Lord 
is good to them that hope in Him ” (Lam. xxv.). 
44 The Lord is good, and giveth strength in the 
day of trouble 99 (Nahum i.). lt How great is the 
mercy of the Lord, and His forgiveness to 
them that turn to Him ! ” (Ecclus. xvii.). 

Oblation and Petition , p. 87. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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II 

“ Thy faith hath made tliee safe” — Luke vii 


Before Communion. 

u And behold a Woman that was in the city, a 
sinner, when she knew that He sat at meat in the 
Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of 
ointment. And, standing behind at His feet, she 
began to wash His feet with tears, and wiped 
them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His 
feet, and anointed them with the ointment.” 

She came before Him unbidden. The invita- 
tion : “ Come to Me all you that labour,” had not 
yet been given. She had not heard that “they 
that are well need not the physician, but they that 
are sick ” ; that He had " not come to call the just, 
but sinners ” ; that there is “ joy before the Angels 
of God upon one sinner doing penance.” Would 
it not be rashness no less than irreverence to 
thrust herself upon His notice? Her presence 


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might be as offensive to Him as it was sure to be 
to His host and the guests. Should she not wait 
a fitter opportunity, seek first an intercessor to 
plead her cause, secure at least His approval for 
such an intrusion ? 

No, she could not wait ; she could not reason. 
Beckless of results, she hurried to her salvation 
as she had hurried to her ruin. Her need drove 
her to Him* Her need was her counsellor and 
her defence She liad seen Him, and seeing Him 
had seen herself. Careless and curious, she had 
penetrated one day the crowd that followed Him. 
She had met His eye. She had cowered before 
it. The consciousness of her sin had been burnt 
into her by that glance. She had become intoler- 
able to herself : what must she be to Him ! 
And yet, how was it that that look had not 
repelled her? Her instinct was, not to hide 
away out of His sight, but to fly to Him the 
All-Holy, and trust herself to Him. No misgiv- 
ings deterred her ; no humiliation affrighted her ; 
she had seen Him ; His eye had rested on her — 
what was all the world to her now ? 

And He said to her: “Thy sins are forgiven 
thee. Thy faith hath made thee safe. Go in 
peace.” 

How complete was Magdalen’s faith in Him! 
She made her plans without a thought of inter- 
ference or repulse. She took her costly ointment 


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THE WELCOME OF A SINNER 71 

and went straight to His feet, and washed, and 
kissed, and anointed them. Who among Hifl 
chosen friends, the privileged, the innocent, 
would have dared what she dared that day ! 

O happy penitent, so sure of acceptance and of 
mercy that thou neededst not to plead in words, 
but only with those tears that were at once sorrow, 
and reparation, and love ! 

Truly, O Lord, she is an Apostle. She has 
preached Thee throughout the world with a 
persuasiveness that is all her own. She has 
brought Thee more converts than the most 
intrepid, the most zealous of missioners. For she 
has revealed to all ages the far-reaching mercy of 
Thy Human Heart. Only when the secrets of 
all hearts are disclosed will be known the multi- 
tudes that, but for Mary Magdalen, had been lost 
to Thee for ever. But with her they crept to Thy 
feet ; with her they washed them with their tears. 
And for them also were the blessed words : “ Thy 
sins are forgiven thee. Go in peace." 

I, a sinner, am drawing near to Thee now. 
Oh that it might be with her faith and trust, 
with her contrition and her tears ! I offer Thee 
the dispositions which made her so acceptable to 
Thee. Give me a share in them, that I too, 
cleansed from all stain, may become dear and 
precious in Thy sight. 


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after Cotmmmfotu 

O God, all Holy, I bow myself down before Thee. 
In my sinfulness I have drawn near to Thee like 
Magdalen, nearer than she was when she knelt 
at Thy feet. I have no tears for my sins, no 
ointment, no kiss. My heart is dry and cold, 
without love, almost, as it seems to me, without 
faith. But I have desires, and these are accept- 
able to Thee. And I may bring to Thee as my 
own the treasures which by the Communion of 
Saints I share. I thank and bless and praise 
Thee with all the Angels of heaven who rejoice 
over every sinner that doth penance. I offer 
Thee the adoration and thanksgiving of all the 
Blessed, of those in particular to whom much has 
been forgiven; the adoration and the love of 
Magdalen; the gratitude with which she recalls 
the day when with her many sins upon her she 
hastened to Thy feet. I offer to Thee the joy 
Thou wilt have in her throughout eternity. 
Receive, dear Lord, another sinner now. Give 
me, to whom many sins have been forgiven, the 
grace to love much. And let my love and my 
thanksgiving be a joy to Thee for ever. 

Magdalen never doubted her forgiveness. I 
will never doubt mine. She heard her absolution 
from Thine own lips. I from the lips of Thy 
Church hear the blessed words : “ I absolve thee; 


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THE WELCOME OF A SINNER 73 

go in peace.” And on Thy word that what the 
Church looses on earth is loosed in heaven, I 
believe. 

Magdalen never forgot that many sins had been 
forgiven her. She did not account an absolution, 
even such as hers, exemption from the obligation 
of doing penance. Thenceforth her life was one 
of penance, but a penance penetrated through and 
through with joy, and sweetened by the contrite 
love that seeks an outlet in reparation. 

Magdalen was faithful to the end. She stood 
firm when even Apostles faltered. She clung to 
her Lord in disgrace. She shared His shame. 
She sought Him perseveringly when He hid Him- 
self from her. She carried His messages to the 
wavering and the sorrowful. She stayed the 
faith of the less fervent on her own. And when 
He had left the earth she followed Him in desire, 
and through years of persevering penance kept 
her heart for Him. 

Let me be like her, 0 Lord. Let me remember 
that though sin is forgiven, the obligation of 
penance remains. Let me take from Thy hand 
in the spirit of penance my daily crosses, the 
weariness and disappointments of life, all that it 
costs to struggle with self, to sacrifice self for the 
sake of others, that is, for Thy sake, my God. 
Let me, like blessed Mary Magdalen, be a 
messenger of Thine to Those among whom I live, 


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making Thy service easier for them and happier. 
Let me, like Magdalen, be faithful to Thee to the 
end, and be with her through eternity among the 
happy ones who have put their trust in Thee and 
not been confounded. 

Oblation . Petition , pp. 169, 171. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12* 


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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 
I 

“ Give praise to our God , all ye His servants , and you 
that fear Him, little and great” — Apoc. xix. 


Before Communion* 

Our needs are so many and so pressing that 
they well-nigh absorb all our thoughts and all the 
energies of our souls when we go to pray. We 
come to think of prayer as if it were petition only, 
losing sight of that highest, purest prayer, the 
only prayer that is to endure throughout eternity 
— praise. We know of course that it is our duty 
to praise God here on earth, but the rush of life 
and its innumerable calls upon our interest and 
our time, make us apt to lose sight of our obligation. 
We find it hard to rise above our daily cares to 
the refreshing heights where earth and its passing 
concerns are left behind, and we breathe the pure 
air of heaven ; where, with Angels and Arch- 
angels, and with all the heavenly army, we may 

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sing : “ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts 
heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna 
in the highest.” 

Therefore the Church is ever saying to us : 
44 Sursum corda ! ” Every day she bids her priests 
and religious set aside for awhile the prayer of 
supplication, and lift up their voices to heaven in 
a chorus of pure praise. And in the Gloria in 
excelsis and the Gloria Patri she would have us 
one and all sing Lauds to God and practise the 
eternal Alleluia. 

This praise is not so hard as we imagine, or God 
would not have made it the first of our duties. 
We excuse ourselves, perhaps, by saying we can- 
not sing the song of the Lord in a strange land. 
Were we unfallen still, it would come as readily 
to our lips as to those of Adam and Eve in 
Paradise. But when earth has become an exile, 
and we wake each morning to toil and trouble, 
we have neither motive nor heart for praise. 

Yet men and women, burdened like ourselves, 
have soared above these things. Nay, more, they 
have made this elevation of heart an exercise 
that habit has rendered easy and delightful, and 
have found in it a resource and a refuge in the 
trials of life. Why should not we do the like? 
We turn out for our constitutional in all weathers, 
often enough sorely against our inclination. The 
body pleads fatigue, indisposition, business, as an 


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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 79 


excuse. But in the very interests of health and 
work, we drive it from the fireside out on to the 
moors or the hillside. If we would use the same 
resolution in behalf of the self-concentred spirit, 
and raise it, perforce, into a rarer, more bracing 
atmosphere, we should find that even in our own 
interests God has laid it upon us as a duty to lift 
up our hearts to Him in praise. 

How differently people look at things ! 

“ 4 Blessed be His most Sacred Heart * has been 
added to the prayers after Mass,” grumbled 
soma “The Pope seems to think we have 
nothing to do but pray.” 

44 I am so glad we have another Divine Praise,” 
wrote a little schoolboy to his mother. 

Again, praise is not so hard as we suppose, 
because our soul is an instrument attuned to the 
note of praise. To praise is the very motive of 
its existence. The spontaneity and facility with 
which it yields its admiration to the passing 
beauties of earth, speaks of an instinct heaven- 
born. What should it be when the object of its 
contemplation is the Creator Himself ! Whatever 
is grand or winning, strong or tender, wise or 
sweet in nature, grace, or glory, is of Him and 
from Him. Hence we are surrounded on every 
side by incentives to praise. The manifestation 


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of His perfections is so varied and so marvellous, 
that it must appeal to all who have eyes to see, 
and ears to hear. 

Are we attracted by majesty and glory and 
power ? “ Who shall search out His glorious acts. 

And who shall show forth the power of His 
majesty?” (Ps. xviii.). Do we bow down before 
beauty and holiness ? ‘ ‘ The Lord is clothed with 

beauty ” (Ps. xcii.). “ 0 Lord my God, Thou hast 
put on praise and beauty, and art clothed with 
light as with a garment” (Ps. ciii.). “Who is 
like to Thee, glorious in holiness?” (Ex. xv.). 
If we seek love, goodness, fidelity, mercy, all these 
are found in our God as in their source. “ God is 
love” (i John iv.). “One is good — God” (Matt, 
xix.). He is the a Faithful and True ” (Apoc. xix.). 
“ And who shall be able to declare His mercy ? ” 
(Ecclus. xviii.). “ Give glory to the Lord, for He 
is good ; for His mercy endureth for ever. Let 
them say so that have been redeemed by the Lord, 
whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the 
enemy. Let the mercies of the Lord give glory 
to Him, and His wonderful works to the children 
of men ” (Ps. cvi.). 

Is there any conceivable good that is not found 
in our God ? And does not the secret history of 
our own life bear testimony to His mercy, His 
fidelity, His love? Why, then, should not our 
hearts leap up to him in praise ? 


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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 81 

How He must desire our praise when He permits 
it to mingle with that of the blessed spirits before 
His throne ; when He discloses to us even here 
the mysteries of that kingdom where there are 
secret words not given to man to utter ! We hear 
the adoring praise of the four living creatures 
that rest not day and night, saying : “ Holy, Holy, 
Holy.” And of the four-and-twenty Ancients that 
cast their crowns before the throne, saying : “ Thou 
art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory, and 
honour, and power.” And of the great multitude, 
that no man can number, that cry with a loud 
voice : “ Salvation to our God who sitteth on the 
throne, and to the Lamb.” And not only do we 
hear, but we are invited to join. The Communion 
of Saints is not a beautiful dream, but a sweet 
reality. And, therefore, with Angels and Arch- 
angels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with 
all the host of heaven, we sing a hymn to His 
glory, saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of 
hosts; heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. 
Hosanna in the highest ! ” 

The Blessed do not disdain our companionship. 
How should they? Our Lord is theirs. He 
whom they adore with veiled faces has bid us call 
Him “ Father.” Therefore our voices are admitted 
with theirs in suppliant praise. 

“ God doth great things and unsearchable, and 
wonderful things without number” (Job v.). He 

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is wonderful in His Saints, in His Church, in His 
Sacraments, in His mysteries. But most of all in 
that Sacrament of Sacraments, in that Mystery 
of faith, in which 44 He hath made a remembrance 
of all His wonderful works " (Ps. cx. ). It is before 
and after Communion that praise is truly meet 
and just, easiest, and most acceptable. Because 
then our praise is not alone. By Him, and with 
Him, and in Him, it rises to the Father. After 
Communion that becomes possible which might 
have seemed impossible — to give to God a worship 
that is commensurate with all His claims upon us ; 
that covers His perfections with a co-extensive 
and perfectly adequate praise. Will not admira- 
tion, loyalty, gratitude, exult during the quarter 
of an hour of thanksgiving ! And even if they 
seem cold and dull — what of that! He is with 
us, He is given to us whose praise alone suffices. 
44 Thanks be to God for His Unspeakable Gift!” 

after Communion. 

“Blessed be the Lord God this day” (3 
Kings v.). 

44 Every day will I bless Thee : and I will praise 
Thy name for ever, yea for ever and ever. Great 
is the Lord, and greatly to be praised ; and of His 
greatness there is no end 99 (Ps. cxliv.). 

44 Praise the Lord, O my soul ; I will praise the 


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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 83 

Lord, I will sing to my God as long as I shall be 99 
(Ps. cxlv.). 

“ To Him that sitteth on the throne, and to the 
Lamb, benediction, and honour, and glory, and 
power, for ever and ever. Amen 99 ( Apoc. v.). 

“ Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the 
throne, and to the Lamb. Amen. Benediction, 
and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honour, 
and power, and strength to our God for ever and 
ever. Amen ” (Apoc. vii.). 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants, 
and you that fear Him, little and great” (Apoc. 
xix.). 

“ Give glory to the Lord, for He is good ; for 
His mercy endureth for ever 99 (Ps. cvi.). 

Laudetur Jesus Christus / 

For the eternal counsel which decreed that the 
Word should be made Flesh and dwell amongst us, 
May Jesus Christ he praised I 
For the love with which “Christ loved us and 
delivered Himself for us ” (Eph. v.), 

May Jesus Christ he praised / 

For the love with which “He loved me and 
delivered Himself for me” (Gal. ii), 

May Jesus Christ he praised I 
For the love with which He became to us “as 
a neighbour and as an own brother ” (Ps. xxxiv.), 
May Jesus Christ he praised / 




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For the sufferings of His infancy, the priva- 
tions of His childhood, the hardships of His 
youth, the toils and journeyings of His manhood, 
May Jesus Christ be praised 1 
For His holy and gentle teaching when “He 
spake as never man spake ” (John vii.), 

May Jems Christ be praised ! 

For His miracles of mercy, when He showed 
Himself to us ‘ 1 gracious and full of compassion ” 
(2 Esdras ix.), 

May Jesus Christ be praised I 
For the love with which He made Himself 
“like to us in all things without sin” (Heb. iv.), 
May Jesus Christ be praised 1 
For the love with which “ He was wounded 
for our iniquities and bruised for our sins n 
(Isa. liii.), 

May Jems Christ be praised I 
For the love with which He “ bought us with a 
great price” (1 Cor. vi.), 

May Jesus Christ be praised I 
For the love with which He “ washed us from 
our sins in His own blood ” (Apoc. i.), 

May Jesus Christ be praised I 
For the love with which “ He has redeemed us 
to God in His Blood, out of every tribe, and 
tongue, and people, and nation ” (Apoc. v.), 

May Jesus Christ be praised 1 
For the love with which “ He was delivered up 




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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 85 

for our sins and rose again for our justification ” 
(Rom. iv.), 

May Jesus Christ be praised/ 

For the love with which He ascended into 
Heaven “ to prepare a place for us” (John xiv.), 
May Jesus Christ be praised ! 

For the u Unspeakable Gift” of His abiding 
Presence whereby He is “ with us all days even 
to the consummation of the world ” (Matt, xxviii.), 
May Jesus Christ be praised / 

For His coming to me to-day that I may live 
by Him, and have everlasting life, and be raised 
up by Him at the Last Day, 

May Jesus Christ be praised 1 

By the perfections of His Sacred Manhood and 
the infinite dignity of His Divine Person, 

May Jesus Christ be praised I 
By Mary, handmaid of the Lord, and Mother 
of God, in whom His Redemption hath a perfect 
work, 

May Jesus Christ be praised ! 

By the four-and-twenty Ancients, and the four 
living creatures who “ fall down before the Lamb 99 
(Apoc. iv.), 

May Jesus Christ be praised/ 

By Angels and Archangels, and all the host of 
Heaven, 

May Jesus Christ be praised / 


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By the hundred and forty-four thousand who 
follow Him whithersoever He goeth” (Apoc. 
xiv.), 

May Jesus Christ he praised / 

By Patriarchs and Prophets, by Apostles and 
Martyrs, by Confessors and Virgins, 

May Jesus Christ he praised ! 

By the “ great multitude which no man could 
number, of all nations and tribes, and peoples, 
and tongues,” standing before the throne and in 
sight of the Lamb (Apoc. vii.), 

May Jesus Christ he praised / 

By this soul of mine with all its faculties ; by 
my body with all its senses ; by every aspiration 
of my mind and every affection of my heart ; by 
my every thought, and word, and act, in time and 
in eternity, 

May Jesus Christ he praised / 

By all who are near and dear to me, all 
entrusted to me, all who are bound to me by 
the ties of kindred or of friendship, 

May Jesus Christ he praised l 
By all who are gathered together in the One 
fold of the One Shepherd, 

May Jesus Christ he praised l 
By His other sheep whom He has yet to bring 
into His fold, 

May Jesus Christ he praised / 


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THE WELCOME OP PRAISE 87 

By those who are still wandering afar off in the 
shadow of death, 

May Jesus Christ be praised ! 

By every creature His hand hath made y 
May Jesus Christ be praised l 


Oblation and Petition. 

What is there, Lord, that Thou hast not sacri- 
ficed for my sake ? Thou hast given Thy body to 
the strikers, Thy face to them that smote it and 
spit upon it, Thy head to the thorns, Thy hands 
and feet to the nails, Thy Heart to the lance. 
Thou hast parted with reputation; Thou hast 
borne treason, ingratitude, the abandonment of 
friends, the dereliction of God; Thou hast made 
over to me Thy merits, Thy Mother, Thy King- 
dom, Thy very Self in the Eucharist. Truly 
mayst Thou ask: “What is there that I ought 
to have done for My vineyard that I have not 
done?” 

I thank Thee, O dearest Lord, for all Thou 
hast suffered for me, and for the love with which 
Thou hast suffered. For all Thou hast given me, 
and for the love with which it has been given. I 
thank Thee for all Thou art to me, for all Thou 
wilt be to me in eternity. Happy those who 
during this short life have made Thee some 


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return for Thy devotedness, and returned Thee 
love for love. What have I given Thee up to 
now ! What return am I going to make — not by 
delegates, but by myself — a personal return for 
a personal gift ? 

I offer Thee, O Lord, the joy Thou wilt have 
to-day in the Communions of those who love Thee 
best. I cannot hope to be counted among these 
happy souls, but by the Communion of Saints I 
share in the treasures which make their hearts so 
pleasing to Thee. I share in their love, in their 
thanksgiving, in the welcome they will give Thee. 
I offer Thee all this as if it were my own. 

I offer Thee what is in very deed my own — my 
poverty, my wretchedness, my nothingness, and 
the humiliation that comes of so much misery. I 
offer Thee the daily work and trials and cares of my 
life. I commend to Thee the unforeseen occasion* 
in which I shall need the special assistance of 
Thy grace ; and the opportunities I may have of 
helping others. I unite all I shall do or suffer, 
all I shall think or say, with Thy thoughts and 
words and actions whilst on earth. I thank 
Thee for every joy Thou hast in store for me. I 
accept of every trial. I accept of death in the 
form and at the hour Thou shalt appoint. I 
accept Thy judgment of me when I shall stand 
before Thee to give an account of my poor, sinful 


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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 89 

life, and of the stewardship confided to me. I 
accept the eternity which will then begin for me. 
And if I had anything further, anything more 
precious to offer Thee and to trust to Thee, I 
would lay it all here at Thv feet. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. E2. 


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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 

II 


%i Bless the Lord , 0 my soul , and let all that is 
within me bless His holy Name.” — Ps. cii. 


Before Communion, 

“Bless the Lord.” Thus it ought to be, but 
what is the fact? Ah, Lord, Thou knowest. 
44 My soul is as earth without water unto Thee ” 
(Ps. cxlii.). Hard and immovable as a rock, 
cold as ice, heavy as lead, I can do nothing, feel 
nothing, but the weight of my insensibility and 
my misery. I can grieve for any sin or infidelity 
that may be the cause of this callousness, but I 
can do nothing to remove it. Effort would be 
worse than useless. Better to lie still at Thy 
feet, content with a state of suffering that after 
all is not sin, trying and humiliating enough for 
me, but not necessarily displeasing to Thee. 
And if not, why should I be disturbed ? Quare 
tristis es anima meal Why art thou sad, my 

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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 91 

soul, and why dost thou trouble me? Hope in 
God, for I will still give praise to Him. My very 
powerlessness praises Him ; praises His almighti- 
ness, in such contrast to my feebleness ; praises 
His goodness in coming to my wretchedness; 
His love that puts up with my coldness and takes 
me into its embrace just as I am. 

“Bless God at all times” (Tobias iv.). Yes, 
Lord, this is my desire, even when words of 
blessing come grudgingly and slow. “ With my 
will, I will give praise to Him,” says David (Ps. 
xxvii.). Not a word about feelings. Thou dost 
not require them ; why should I make myself 
unhappy about them ? 

These are times which with all their pain are 
not without consolation. It is something to 
entertain so great a Majesty at my own cost. 
And if Thou art content, I must needs be so too. 
Only see that my state involves no displeasure 
or dishonour to Thee, and I will bear it patiently, 
nay joyfully. For all this will pass. The hiding 
of Thy face, the distress of my irresponsiveness 
will end with this life. In a little while I shall 
see Thee as Thou art; my soul shall magnify 
Thee even as I desire. “I shall be satisfied 
when Thy glory shall appear ” (Ps. xvi.). 

My God, I offer Thee that praise of mine when 
I pass within the eternal gates, and, swift as 
light, wing my way to Thy Throne. When the 


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sight of Thee as Thou art shall set my soul free 
to pour itself out to Thee in one delighted, irre- 
pressible, unending burst of song. When there 
shall be no more dulness and heaviness to clog 
the flight of my affections, no more selfishness 
to absorb what is Thine by right. But like the 
lark in the high heavens carolling to the sun, 
my whole being shall go out to Thee in a jubilee 
of praise. 

Meantime, what can I offer Thee, my God? 
Have I nothing, literally nothing by which I 
may at least testify my good will? A good will 
is fertile in expedients, and finds means even in 
obstacles. What can I find in my poverty that 
may be made available for praise ? A callousness 
that cannot be stirred, a stupidity and hardness 
absolutely impenetrable — can this be material 
for praise? Yes, even this. For it can glorify 
the Creator by witnessing to the misery and 
indigence of the creature. It can be the humbly 
recognised chastisement of sin, an offering always 
acceptable to Thee. It can intensify the contrast 
between the all-mighty, all- eager Lover, and the 
poor, crippled creature that cannot lift itself to 
meet Him or make any response to His advances. 
My God, I offer Thee this glory and this praise. 
I offer it gladly. It is of my own stock, my own 
furnishing. But for me, Thou couldst not have 
it. Accept it from me, O Lover, as a pledge of 


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what I would give were I able, what I will give 
some day. My soul is as earth without water to 
Thee, now. But the day will come when “ the 
land that was desolate shall be glad, and the 
wilderness shall rejoice and shall flourish as the 
lily. It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall 
rejoice with joy and praise ” (Isa. xxxv.). 


after Communion. 

“ Thou art fc worthy, O Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power ” (Apoc. iv.). 

“ Let all Thy Angels and Saints bless Thee, and 
praise Thee, and glorify Thee for ever” (Dan. iii.). 

“ Let all the earth adore Thee and sing to Thee ” 
(Ps. lxv.). 

“ Let all Thy works, O Lord, praise Thee, and 
let Thy Saints bless Thee ” (Ps. cxliv.). 

“ Sing praises to our God, sing ye ; sing praises 
to our King, sing ye ” (Ps. xlvi ). 

a It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to 
sing to Thy Name, O Most High ” (Ps. xci.). 

“ Praise the Lord, O my soul ; I will praise the 
Lord, I will sing to my God as long as I shall be* 
(Ps. cxlv.). 

" Laudamus Te, benedidmus Te, adoramus Te, 
glorificamus Te!” We praise Thee; we bless 
Thee ; we adore Thee ; we glorify Thee. 


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Lavdamus Te! My God, I praise Thee for 
Thyself. What I conceive as Thy Perfections 
are in reality Thy Nature, Thy very Essence. 
Thou art not omnipotent, wise, truthful, beautiful, 
loving, good ; but Omnipotence, Wisdom, Truth, 
Beauty, Goodness, Love. I praise Thee, then, 
for what is worthy of infinite praise. Were I 
capable of this, nothing less would be due to 
Thee from me. And, thanks be to Thee, I am 
capable now when Thy dearly beloved Son is 
with me, praising Thee with all the might and 
the love of His Sacred Human Soul. I unite my 
praise with His. By Him, with Him, in Him, 
in union with all Angels and Saints who praise 
Thee through Him, I lift up my voice to Thee in 
praise. 

Benedicimu8 Te ! My God, I bless Thee for all 
Thou art to us ; for Thy eternal love of us ; for all 
Thou hast wrought for us in time. I bless Thee 
for the Incarnation and Life, the Death and 
Resurrection of Thy beloved Son. I bless Thee 
for giving us His Mother and His Church; for 
all the Sacraments, especially for that which is 
by pre-eminence the Blessed Sacrament ; and for 
that other without which the Eucharist would be 
a Gift beyond our reach — the dear Sacrament of 
reconciliation and of peace. 

I bless Thee, my God, for all Thou art to 
me, for all that out of Thy treasury Thou hast 


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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 95 

bestowed upon me— for life, and time, and grace ; 
for the gifts of mind and body given or withheld 
according to Thy knowledge of my need and Thy 
designs for my eternal happiness. I bless Thee 
for all Thy graces and favours bestowed upon me 
through the Mass, and in the Sacraments, and 
by the means of prayer, I bless Thee for Thy 
untiring patience with me and Thy forgiveness of 
my many sins ; for Thy visits to me in Holy Com- 
munion; for Thy help in need; for the inspira- 
tions and invitations by which Thou seekest to 
draw me to Thyself. I bless Thee for the joys 
and for the trials of my life which in Thy Provi- 
dence work together for my good. I bless Thee 
for the grace of final perseverance in Thy service, 
for Thy merciful judgment of my poor, sinful life ; 
for the place in Thy kingdom to which Thou wilt 
bring me when my term of purification is past ; 
for the joy of standing in Thy Presence for ever, 
and the sight of Thy unveiled Face. “Every 
day will I bless Thee: and I will praise Thy 
name for ever, yea for ever and ever” (Ps. 
cxliv.). 

Adoramus Te / My God, I adore Thee. I 
have but the faintest idea now of that worship, 
that self-annihilation which is the soul’s response 
to the sight of Thy holiness, Thy majesty, Thy 
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the Soul of Christ that comprehends Thy Divine 
Majesty fully, and is able to give Thee an 
adequate adoration To its worship I unite 
mine. Through Him, and with Him, and in 
Him is to Thee, 0 God the Father, in the unity 
of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory, world 
without end. Amen. 

Glorificamu8 Te J My God, I glorify Thee for 
all Thou art in Thyself, and for all the manifesta- 
tions of Thyself in nature, grace, and glory. 
The irrational creatures glorify Thee by doing 
Thy Will. The heavens declare the glory of 
God, the earth and sea lift up their voice to 
Thee in praise. Oh that all men would glorify 
Thee! That they would all respond to the 
summons: “Give glory to God, all ye His 
servants, and you that fear Him, little and 
great v (Apoc. xix.). “Glorify the Lord as 
much as ever you can, for He will yet far 
exceed, and His magnificence is wonderful. 
Blessing the Lord, exalt Him as much as you 
can, for He is above all praise ” (Ecclus. xliii.). 
Yet after Communion I, a little one indeed, can 
glorify Him sufficiently. His boundless Perfec- 
tions will not outstrip my praise. I may cover 
them with an infinite worship. I may exalt 
them as much as they deserve. For I can do 
all things in Him who strengthens me then. 


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THE WELCOME OF PRAISE 97 

Not I, but my Lord and God with me. By 
Him, with Him, in Him, is to God the Father, 
in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and 
glory, world without end. 

Oblation and Petition , p. 10^ 

Prayer before a Crupifix, p. 12. 


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I 


“ Who art Thou, Lord ? 99 


Before (Communion. 

Saul was on his way to Damascus to bring 
bound to Jerusalem the disciples of Christ, when 
“suddenly a light from heaven shined round 
about him.” And falling on the ground he heard 
a voice saying to him : 44 Saul, Saul, why persecutest 
thou Me ? ” Who said : 44 Who art Thou, Lord ? ” 
What a contrast between 44 Saul breathing out 
threatening and slaughter against the disciples of 
the Lord,” and Paul who counted as nothing 
44 perils of waters, perils of robbers, stripes, stoning, 
hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness,” death 
itself for Jesus’ sake ; between the neophyte 
crying out in his ignorance : 44 Who art Thou, 
Lord?” and the Apostle exclaiming: 44 1 know 
whom I have believed.” 

What had brought about this marvellous change? 

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One thing — St. Paul had come to know our Lord, 
to know Him intimately, as one friend knows 
another. And because he knew Him, he had 
come to love Him with so vehement an affection 
that he could say : “Who shall separate us from 
the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, or danger, 
or the sword ? I am sure that neither death nor 
life, nor things present, nor things to come, nor 
any creature, shall be able to separate us from the 
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

How had St. Paul learned to know our Lord so 
well? He was not one of the Twelve, nor had 
he been among those who followed Him about 
during His life on earth, attracted by His wonder- 
ful works, and by the charm of His presence and 
of His words. He had marvellous revelations, it 
is true. Still he had “to learn Christ,” as he 
himself expresses it, much in the same way as we 
have to do, by hearing about Him, by pondering 
what he heard, by remembering that all our 
Blessed Saviour had done and suffered was for 
him. “ He loved me, and delivered Himself for 
me,” was the thought that stirred all that was 
noble within him, and urged his generous nature 
to return love for love. 

If we want to love our Lord fervently, to make 
Him some return for all His love to us, we must 
try to know Him by making ourselves familiar 
with His life. We must notice His ways — His 


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THE WELCOME OP A FRIEND 103 

gentleness and compassion ; His tenderness with 
sinners, with the sick, the sorrowing, the little 
children; His faithfulness to His friends, His 
patience, His lovableness, We must try to 
bring home to ourselves, like St. Paul, that how- 
ever poor and unimportant we may be in the eyes 
of others, however undeserving and sinful, we are 
each of us, one by one, dear and precious to the 
Heart of our Blessed Lord beyond what we are 
able to conceive. That for love of us one by one 
He taught, and toiled, and suffered. That had 
we been the only soul He came to save, He would 
have done for us singly what He has done for all. 
Each one of us, however lowly and unworthy, can 
say with the great Apostle : “ He loved me, and 
delivered Himself for me.” When we come to 
realise this in some degree, our hearts will begin 
to warm. We shall find we have found, what we 
all long to find — a true and faithful friend, a 
Friend who will never tire of us, who will put up 
with our shortcomings and our selfishness, and 
be always ready to listen to us and to help us. 
We shall begin to trust Him. We shall love to 
be with Him. We shall invite Him to come to 
us oftener, and prepare our hearts better to 
receive Him. And His visits will be more fruit- 
ful. Though the Sacraments work without our 
co-operation, their effects are stinted unless the 
soil is prepared. Our Lord could have worked a 


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miracle in the desert to feed the hungry multitude 
without having bread to multiply. But His way 
is to help those who help themselves. He sent 
for the few little loaves that a boy in the crowd 
had brought, and blessed and multiplied them. 
So is it with our dispositions. He increases 
whatever good He finds. 

And why should we not do all we can to make 
Him welcome for His own sake as well as for 
what He brings us ! He is our best of friends, 
with whom we are to spend our eternity; must 
we not be getting to know Him better that we 
may love Him more? It was for us as well as 
for the sick of His own day that He showed Him- 
self so tender and merciful. He knew we should 
one day hear of the kind things He said and did, 
and He wanted to draw our hearts to Himself by 
their means. We must ponder and try to make 
real to ourselves, now one, now another of His 
miracles of mercy ; to enter into the feelings of 
thankfulness of those He healed, and to remember 
we have the very same tender Lord with us in, 
Holy Communion, who wants us to treat with 
Him and to trust Him as if we had known and 
loved Him whilst He was here on earth. 

I believe, O my Saviour, I believe firmly that 
Thou who art coming to visit me art the true Son 
of God who didst come to Mary, lie in a manger, 


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travel to and fro through the towns of Judea and 
by the seashore of Galilee. I believe Thou art 
the very same Lord who for me didst sweat blood 
beneath the olive trees and hang upon the cross. 
All this I believe. And yet I may cry with Saul 
on the way to Damascus : " Who art Thou, Lord ? ” 
Teach me more and more about Thyself. Bring 
home to me, make real to me what I hold by my 
faith. How is it I can believe so much yet love 
so little? Oh that I could love and trust Thee 
like those who knew Thee during Thy life on 
earth, whose hearts beat quickly at the thought 
of seeing Thy face, of hearing Thee calling them 
by their name ! 

But to love Thee devotedly it is not necessary 
to have seen Thee. “ Because thou hast seen 
Me, Thomas, thou hast believed ; blessed are 
those who have not seen, and have believed.” 
Let this blessing be mine, dear Lord. Come to 
me, that I may know Thee better. Come to make 
Thyself more to my soul. Come and teach me 
how to speak to Thee, to unburden my heart to 
Thee, to trust to Thee its miseries, its weaknesses, 
its desire of better things. 

I am sorry for all the sins which have dulled 
my mind to the divine truths I believe by faith. 
I am sorry for having often hardened my heart 
when I heard Thy voice speaking within me. 
Forgive me, O forgiving Lord, and come to me 


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now to help me to a more fervent life in Thy 
service. 


after Communion* 

Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the 
throne, the throne of His glory in heaven, the 
throne here on earth of my poor heart. 

O ye Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, 
praise and exalt Him above all for ever. 

O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord, 
praise and exalt Him above all for even 

Give praise to our God, all ye His servants, 
and you that fear Him, little and great. 

O give thanks to the Lord because He is good, 
because His mercy endureth for ever. 

Who art Thou, Lord ? I know ; I adore. Thou 
art Christ, the Son of the Living God. I bow 
myself down before Thee. I adore Thy sacred 
Body that suffered hunger and thirst, and cold, 
and weariness, and a cruel death for me. I adore 
Thy precious Blood that was poured out for me. 
I adore Thy Blessed Soul once sorrowful for 
me even unto death. I adore Thy Divinity by 
which Thou art one God with the Father and 
the Holy Ghost. 

How can I thank Thee, my God, for giving me 
Thyself? Who will help me to bless and praise 
Thee ? My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my 


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spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He 
that is mighty hath done great things to me, and 
holy is His name. With the thanksgiving of Thy 
Holy Mother, with the joyful praise of all Thy 
Angels and Saints, I thank, and bless, and praise 
Thee. 0 grant that I may praise Thee for ever. 

Thou hast done great things for me, my God, 
and Thou hast come to do great things. Not till 
I get to Heaven and look back on my Communion 
days shall I understand all Thou hast done for 
me, silently, unknown even to myself, during 
these precious quarters of an hour of thanksgiving. 
Cold though I may be, and wandering in attention, 
Thy loving work for me goes on. The forgiveness 
of venial sin, the quieting of my passions, the 
weakening of bad habits, new joy in God’s service, 
strength for future conflicts, growth in the love of 
Christ and in likeness to Christ— all good things 
come to me together with Thee, dear Lord. 
What shall I render to the Lord for all He hath 
rendered unto me ? 

M My child, give Me thy heart. Give it to 
Me, for by the right of creation it is Mine. Give 
it to Me, for I have given the blood of My Heart 
to save it from misery and to purchase for it 
eternal joy. Give it to Me, who alone can make 
it happy. Give it to Me, that it may not be 
spoilt by self-seeking, by running too eagerly 
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it may not be disappointed in the end, that I 
may satisfy all its desires, all its craving for 
affection and for happiness, and be Myself its 
reward exceeding great.” 

Take, O Lord, and receive. I give Thee my 
heart. Who but Thyself would care for itl 
Who, knowing it as Thou dost, would not despise 
it! O God, who possessing the hearts of all 
Saints dost ask for mine, I offer it to Thee with 
humble thankfulness for the love that makes Thee 
ask it. Would it were an offering less unworthy 
of Thee. I give it to Thee that Thou mayst keep 
it safe, and that all its love may be Thine. And 
with it I give Thee all whom I love, to be kept 
in Thy service or to be brought back thereto. 
Guide us all through the perils of this short life, 
and make us worthy to possess and enjoy Thee 
for ever in the life to come. Amen. 

Petition. 

“I will make him a pillar in the temple of 
my God .” — Apoc. iff. 

I wish I could be a little pillar, my God, 
supporting something for Thee, no matter what ; 
a pillar rough, unpolished, hidden away if Thou 
wilt, but doing a work for Thee. 

In one way, at least, I may be a pillar. Thy 
interests all the world over are given into our 
keeping that we may uphold them all — by prayer. 


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THE WELCOME OF A FRIEND 109 

Bring home to me, Lord, the responsibility that 
lies upon me to be earnest in prayer for all who 
are entrusted to me, or who are in any way 
brought within my influence. And not for these 
only, but for all my brethren, all my fellow- 
servants, every soul on the wide earth. They 
are Thy children, all of them, with a right to call 
Thee “ Father,” with their place in Thy Heart. 
Surely, then, they must have a place in mine. 

I pray 44 for all that concerns the interests of 
Thy Kingdom on earth, for the Holy Father, for 
the diocese, for the Church in every land. For 
the foreign missions, for the temporal independ- 
ence of the Pope, for persecuted religious abroad, 
for the safety of our schools in this country.” 

I pray that Thou mayst 44 reign in every heart, 
that the power of the Evil One may be broken 
and may come to naught, that Jesus Christ may 
everywhere conquer and triumph ; that His law, 
His commandments, and His Church may rule 
the whole world ; that there may be neither rebel, 
nor traitor, nor deserter, but that all may live 
under His rule, and in His grace, until they have 
to leave the earthly Kingdom for that which is 
prepared in Heaven.” 1 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


1 Bishop Hedley, Pastoral Letter, Lent, 1904. 


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THE WELCOME OF A FRIEND 

II 


U I will not now call you servants, but 
friends — John xv. 


Before (Communion* 

First among the privileges of perfect friendship, 
and comprising every other, is unreservedness of 
communication between us and our friend. What- 
ever befalls us he must know. We do not believe 
an event can be read aright unless his eye inter- 
prets it along with our own. The impression it 
makes upon us is largely determined by his judg- 
ment. Pain is softened, joy is doubled, by being 
shared with him. If it is an injustice or a 
disappointment that has upset us, we exaggerate 
the trouble of course, perhaps allow ourselves 
many an intemperate word that would be checked 
in any other presence. But he knows us so well ; 
knows us in every mood ; our way of looking at 
things ; our infirmities of character ; he will make 

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allowances; it does not matter what we say to 
him. Everything may come out, and the out- 
pouring will prevent effusions in quarters where 
they would be unjustifiable and unsafe. 

Oh what a resource we have in human friend- 
ship ! God Himself acknowledges and sanctions 
it when He tells us : “A steadfast friend shall 
be to Thee as thyself ” (Ecclus. vi.). “ Open not 

thy heart to every man * (Ecclus. viii.), “ but let 
one of a thousand be thy counsellor ” (Ecclus. vi.). 
“ A faithful friend is a strong defence, and he that 
hath found him hath found a treasure. Go to 
him early in the morning, and let thy foot wear 
the steps of his doors ” (Ibid.). 

Yet it does not suffice Him to give us friends 
frail and feeble as ourselves. Nor even to open 
to us the Courts of Heaven, and make us welcome 
to the friendship of those blessed ones whom He 
vouchsafes to own as frienda But He would 
Himself be our Friend. All the advantages of 
friendship heightened to an inconceivable degree ; 
all the devotedness, faithfulness, resourcefulness, 
forbearance, which the annals of friendship or 
the wildest stretch of imagination can furnish, is 
but the feeblest image of what He offers, nay 
presses upon the acceptance of every one of us. 

“The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of 
David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul 99 
(i Rings xviiL). But what was this union com- 


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pared with that between us and our Blessed Lord 
in Holy Communion ! We are engrafted in Him 
as the branch in the vine, a similitude of His 
own which should be pondered in detail till we 
come to realise something of its stupendous signi- 
ficance. ' 

“And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat 
with which he was clothed and gave it to David, 
and the rest of his garments, even to his sword, 
and to his bow, and to his girdle.” A paltry 
sacrifice indeed beside that of the Cross and of 
the Eucharist ! 

In the hour of need Jonathan interposed 
between his friend and his father’s anger: “I 
will go and stand beside my father : and I will 
speak of thee to my father. And Jonathan spoke 
good things of David to Saul, his father. And 
Saul was appeased by the words of Jonathan ” 
(i Kings xix.). But “ Christ loved us and 
delivered Himself for us” (Ephes. v.), “making 
peace with the blood of His cross” (2 Cor. v.); 
44 loved us and washed us from our sins in His own 
Blood” (Apoc. i.) ; “always living to make inter- 
cession for us ” (Heb. vii.). 

The friendship between the prince and the 
shepherd fascinates us. Yet the love of the 
God of heaven and earth for such as we are 
fails to excite wonder or enthusiasm. All the 
beauty and pathos of human friendship is found 


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THE WELCOME OF A FRIEND 113 

in the Divine ; sympathy, self-sinking, generosity, 
carried to a length impossible to surpass even in 
thought. But we take it all as a matter of course, 
and see no particular reason why the duty of 
gratitude should be so urged upon us. 

And surely, O Lord, there should be nonet 
Surely the sight of the Crucifix or the Tabernacle, 
the very thought of either, should melt our hearts 
and carry us out of ourselves with admiration and 
thankfulness. We extol the wide brotherhood 
of Francis of Assisi. We are charmed by his 
sympathy with the innocent things of the irra- 
tional creation. But his passionate love of Christ 
Crucified, the vehemence and the tenderness of 
his heart’s outpouring the night through : “ My 
God and my All ! 99 — this we fail to understand, 
this wakes no echo in our own heart. 

How long, O Lord, how long 1 Thou didst die 
for me as for Francis ; draw my heart to Thee by 
a return of love. Make the Crucifix speak to my 
heart as to his. My God and my All, make Thy- 
self more to my soul. There was a time when 
this seraph of the earth was wedded to earthly 
things. And Thy grace came and drew his whole 
affection to Thee, and now he is associated in our 
minds with the burning spirits before Thy throne. 
Give Thy grace to me too, mean and miserable as I 
am. Canst Thou refuse Thy grace who dost give 

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114 

Thyself? I long to love Thee, my God, with a 
love less unworthy of Thee. Help me to love 
Thee. Take from my heart all obstacles to Thy 
love. Let me love Thee with my whole heart, 
with my whole soul, with all my mind, with all 
my strength before I come to die, that I may 
love Thee according to Thy desire throughout 
eternity. 

after Communion. 

“ Blessed be the Lord for this day ” (3 Kings 
v). 

“ Blessed be the Lord, for He hath shown His 
wonderful mercy to me ” (Ps. xxx.). 

“For He hath satisfied the empty soul, and 
hath filled the hungry soul with good things * 
(Ps. cvi.). 

“ O my soul, bless the Lord, and let all that is 
within me bless His holy Name ” (Ps. cii.). 

“ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all 
He hath done for thee ” (Id.). 

“ Give glory to the Lord for He is good, for His 
mercy endureth for ever ” (Ps. cvi.). 

“ What shall I render to the Lord for all that 
He hath rendered tome?” (Ps. cxv.). 

“ I will extol Thee, O God my King, and I will 
bless Thy name for ever, yea for ever and ever n 
(Ps. cxliv.). 

•* 0 my soul, bless thou the Lord ” (Ps. ciii). 


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THE WELCOME OF A FRIEND 115 

“ And when they had adored God and given Him 
thanks, they sat down together ” (Tobias xi. 1 2). 

Here is the right ordering of our thanksgiving 
after Communion — God’s claims first, and, these 
satisfied, the familiar intercourse with our Lord 
and the setting forth of our needs. Though, 
indeed, the satisfying of God’s claims is the first 
and deepest of our needs. 

How is it to be brought about? His due is 
nothing short of the infinite, and our very best is 
finite. Oh how miserably finite we feel when we 
come to deal with God ! But — thanks be to God 
for His unspeakable Gift — what is absolutely 
impossible for us to do, is perfectly done for us 
by the Incarnation, and by the extension of the 
Incarnation, the Eucharist. 

Our Lord places Himself upon the altar, within 
easy reach of every one of us. He puts His 
Sacred Heart at our disposal, bidding us help 
ourselves freely from its treasures, and pay thus 
to the last farthing the debt we owe. To provide 
us with an adoration, praise, and thanksgiving 
worthy of Himself, is His chief motive in remain- 
ing with us all days ; in offering Himself on the 
altar every day ; in coming to us in Holy Com- 
munion whenever we will. By Him, with Him, 
in Him, we, little finite creatures, nothing of our- 
selves, worse than nothing by our sinfulness, can 
give to the supreme God a worship which He 


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accepts as sufficient, by which every Perfection 
receives its full meed of adoration and praise, 
good measure, pressed down, shaken together, 
running over. 

“ He that is mighty hath done great things for 
me,” we may cry out in our joy, as we look at the 
Tabernacle, and fold our hands over our breast 
after Communion. He has perfected praise even 
in the mouth of such a one as I. For I am not 
alone; Jesus is with me. “I will rejoice in 
the Lord, and I will joy in God my Jesus'* 
(Habacuc iii.). 

“ And when they had adored God , and given Him 
thank s, they sat down together” 

He wants now to hear about ourselves — how 
things are going with us — how we have been 
getting on since He was with us last. Is union 
with Him strengthening ? Does the sap flow 
more freely, more continuously from the Vine 
into the branch ? Are we getting little by little 
to live by Him ? Is there communion of tastes, 
interests, joys, and sorrows ? Interchange of 
loving offices ? Is there devotedness to His cause 
at the cost of personal sacrifice ? Does all that 
touches Him affect us more than it did once ? Is 
He coming to be, almost unconsciously to our- 
selves, the main need of our life ? 

And what about our work for Him — about the 


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THE WELCOME OF A FRIEND 117 

anxiety common to us both for those we love, 
those whose names He sees upon our lips when- 
ever we come to Him ? And other things. The 
interview we talked over with Him — how did it 
go off? The cloud in that other quarter — is it 
lifting ? He wants to know all. Have we come 
to Him that He may share our gladness ? Or is 
it the old sympathy, the sympathy of years on 
which we must draw still ? Oh that fellow-feeling 
of His Sacred Human Heart, not only ready ever, 
but fresh as ever — a constancy impossible in other 
friends! They must tire. They do tire. They 
brace themselves up to give us a patient hearing 
once again. They try — what more can they do ? 
— to draw upon the resources of their faithful 
hearts. But they are sensible, almost as much 
as we are, how feebly, almost mechanically, the 
words of sympathy come, not from fault of theirs, 
but simply because the strain has been so long. 

1 “ Oh when the heart is full, when bitter thoughts 
Come crowding thickly up for utterance, 

And the poor common words of courtesy 

Are such a very mockery — how much 

The bursting heart may pour itself in prayer 1 ” 

" Come to Me when it is not well with thee ” 
(Imit.). His invitation is as pressing the 
hundredth and the thousandth time as it was at 
first. “Come to Me you who are heavy-laden, 

1 Willis. 


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118 

and I will refresh you.” His Heart does not 
sink when He sees us coming. Nay, His delight 
is to see us take up our post before the Tabernacle, 
too weary, perhaps, to pray — but just to sit before 
Him, our eyes upon the little door, waiting for 
our refreshment. The sympathy of the Heart 
beating there is infinite. It never fails, nor can 
fail. When the need ceases, when the long 
waiting is rewarded, and the time has come 
for Him to share our joy as He has shared 
our pain — then, and not till then, will there 
be change in the patient Listener there. 

Oblation and Petition , p. 87. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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III 

Moods • 


Before Communion* 

Among the treasures of friendship on which we 
have to draw most largely and continuously, is 
forbearance. It is not so much that our wants 
are many and importunate, as that our moods 
are so shifting. Our phases, like the moon’s, are 
regular at least in their inconstancy. They come 
and go, affecting the brightness of life within and 
without, and we can no more prevent these alter- 
nations than the queen of night can keep herself 
always at the full. “ Sometimes joyful, at other 
times sad ; now easy, anon troubled ; at one time 
devout, at another dry ; sometimes fervent, at 
other times sluggish ; one day heavy, another 
lighter,” says one who knew human nature well. 
And he has but given a sample of our fluctuations. 

Capricious, irresolute, fastidious, fretful, sulky, 
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restive, stubborn, we are a riddle to all save to 
Him who made us. What should we do without 
a divine friendship to fall back upon ! Our Lord 
is our resource in every mood. He adapts Himself 
to each with a readiness and a grace that imply 
no reproach. His invitation never tires : “ Come 
to Me, and I will refresh you.” We are always 
welcome. There is no sign that our waywardness 
or our perversity jars upon Him. He receives 
us with a graciousness that soothes while it 
shames us. He hears out our one-sided tale 
without expostulation or rebuke. And when 
the consciousness of His tender interest has 
drawn our trouble from us, and the outlet of 
our heart into His has relieved and quieted us, 
He comes with His gentle touch and heals our 
wounds, pouring in oil* and wine, and sends us 
again on our way with lightened and braver 
hearts. 

44 Go thou and do likewise,” is His word to us. 
For His friendship is not our resource only, but 
our exemplar. O Lord, how little have I sought 
to mould myself as a friend on Thee ! In my 
relations with those around me the leading 
characteristics of friendship have place always. 
The exercise of authority may be called for at 
one time, of submission at another, but the self- 
abnegation, the forbearance, the resourcefulness 
of a friend are needed at all times and with all. 


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Jesus, Divine Friend, make my heart like unto 
Thine. 

In His dealings with others how striking is the 
self-forgetfulness, the divine charity with which 
our Lord lays Himself out to meet the need of 
the moment. Is it to draw our attention to this 
that St. Matthew recounts for us the calls upon 
His attention and sympathy in a single day 1 

He was teaching where “many had come 
together, so that there was no room, no not 
even at the door. ,, 

“ And behold they brought to Him one sick of 
the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus said to the 
man sick of the palsy, . . . Arise, take up thy 
bed, and go into thy house. . . . 

“And when Jesus passed on from thence, He 
saw a man sitting in the custom-house, named 
Matthew ; and He saith to him : Follow Me. 

“Then came to Him the disciples of John, 
saying: Why do we and the Pharisees fast 
often, but Thy disciples do not fast ? . . . 

“ And as He was speaking to them, behold a 
certain ruler came up and adored Him, saying : 
Lord, my daughter is even now dead ; but come, 
lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And 
J esus rising up followed him, with His disciples n 
(Matt. ix.). 

And having on the way thither healed the 
woman who touched the hem of His garment for 


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her cure, He came to where Jairus’ little daughter 
lay dead. “ And He took her by the hand, and 
the maid arose” (Id.) “And He commanded 
that something should be given her to eab” 
(Mark v.). 

“ And as He passed from thence, there followed 
Him two blind men crying out and saying, Have 
mercy on us, O Son of David. . . . And He 
touched their eyes and their eyes were opened. . . . 

“And when they were gone out, behold they 
brought Him a dumb man, possessed with a devil. 
And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man 
spoke ” (Matt. ix.). 

This is a sample of one of His days. 

It was not only the laying of His hands on 
these afflicted ones that drew the multitudes after 
Him, “ so that they trod one upon another,” it 
was the words of sympathy that accompanied His 
healing touch. “ Be of good heart, son, thy sins 
are forgiven thee.” “Fear not, only believe.” 
“ Be of good heart, daughter, go in peace, and be 
thou whole of thy disease.” “Talitha, cumi,* 
“Maiden, arisa” 

In the expression of His face, in the tones of His 
voice, there was no trace of a hard day’s teaching 
as He took the little children into His arms. As 
He “ embraced them, and laid His hands upon 
them, and blessed them,” no cloud upon His brow 
told of the bitter disappointment at hand when 


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THE WELCOME OF A FRIEND 123 

the young man whom He loved would turn away 
sorrowful from His invitation. The burden of 
sin and sorrow that continually pressed upon Him 
did not engross Him or prevent Him from enter- 
ing with the tenderest solicitude into the sorrows 
of others. His Heart was wrung with anguish 
as He sat gazing for the last time on His dear 
Jerusalem, so soon to be beaten flat to the 
ground and her children within her. Yet He 
noted with admiration and compassion the mite 
that dropped into the corbona, the widow’s offer- 
ing of all she had. 

None feared to approach Him; He was at 
every one’s beck and call. The guileless N athaniel, 
the notorious Magdalen, the earnest seeker after 
truth, the thoughtless, the selfish, the caviller, all 
met with the same courteous kindness. All 
found Him leisured, considerate, gentle, helpful. 
There was no mistaking the fellow-feeling revealed 
by His glance, His smile, the words that fell from 
His lips. There was no mistrusting His welcome. 
Each sufferer that knelt at His feet was conscious 
of being just the one He most wanted to see, the 
one for whom He was waiting. Who would have 
guessed that He knew those long tales better than 
the tellers; that this Friend of publicans and 
sinners was the God who abhors iniquity ; that 
He to whose lips praise came so readily was the 
All-perfect, the searcher of hearts ? He was not 


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exacting. He welcomed good wherever He found 
it, a little where He could discern no more. The 
bruised reed He did not break, and smoking flax 
He did not extinguish. His sympathy never failed 
or flagged. If, as night fell, His face betrayed 
signs of weariness, not so His ear or His Heart. 
The last suppliant found Him as attractive, as 
attentive as the first that had disturbed His 
prayer at break of day. 

And thus I find Him after all His experience 
of me — patient, tender, devoted, bearing all things, 
hoping all things, making Himself all things to 
me that He may win me to Himself, win me to a 
greater likeness to Him in mind and heart. 

“ Shouldst not thou have compassion on thy 
fellow-servant even as I have compassion on thee? 
I have given you an example that as I have done 
to you, so you do also. ,, 

O Jesus, Divine Friend, my resource in the 
ever-varying moods and needs of life, have patience 
with me and help me. Come to me to-day to 
work a change in my heart. Let me learn of 
Thee. Let me imitate Thee. Warm the coldness 
of my selfish nature. Soften my hardness. Fill 
me with the burning, self-sacrificing charity of 
Thy divine Heart. Make my heart like unto 
Thine. 



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THE WELCOME OF A FRIEND 125 


Sfter (Communion. 

“ This is the Christ ” (Acts ix.). 

“This is God, our God unto eternity, and for 
ever and ever ” (Ps. xlvii.). 

“ Whence, is this to me that my Lord should 
come to me?” 

“ Adoro te devote , latens Deitas.” 

Devoutly I adore Thee, O hidden Deity. 

“ Yerily Thou art a hidden God” (Isa. xlv.). 

“ 0 love the Lord, all ye His saints ” (Ps. xxx.). 

“Give glory to the Lord for He is good, for 
His mercy endureth for ever ” (Ps. cv.). 

“ Come, let us praise the Lord with joy, let us 
joyfully sing to God our Saviour *' (Ps. xciv.). 

“Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to 
Him, and His wonderful works to the children of 
men” (Ps. cvi.). 

Love shows itself by a communication of gifts. 
What does our Lord give me this morning? A 
Gift than which He has nothing greater or better 
to bestow. A Gift that cannot be merited ; that 
has no equivalent; that comprises all that is; 
that is infinite in dignity and in worth — the Body 
and Blood, Soul and Divinity of God made Man. 

And this infinite Gift is enhanced by the way 
in which it is bestowed. He gives Himself as a 
pledge of His love, a pledge of eternal life, a 


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WELCOME! 


pledge we may have daily if we will. Nay, more ; 
as a fountain of living water, springing up even 
now and here into life everlasting. All that is 
needed for purifying, enlightening, strengthening, 
satisfying my soul, for ensuring my eternal 
salvation, and that finished likeness to Christ in 
which perfection consists, is given to me here. O 
truly Blessed Sacrament, how hath He not with 
thee given us all things ! 

And what do I give Him in return ? Lord, it 
is not much, hut it is all I have. I give Thee 
myself, body and soul. I give Thee my life, 
strength, desires, resolutions, efforts, all my love 
and my trust, my joys and my anxieties, my 
aspirations after better things, my labour for the 
souls that Thou lovest. 

Freely I have received, freely let me give. 
Let the sense of my own infirmity, my own need 
of sympathy and encouragement, make me alive 
to the need of others. My own moods come and 
go. I find myself hard to handle. I am a trial 
to those about me. May I be tender and com- 
passionate to those who like myself are struggling 
with nature and are occasionally worsted in the 
fight. Let me accommodate myself to them at 
times when they need indulgence ; overlook what 
is unreasonable and trying ; pass unnoticed what 
is the outcome of worry, or disappointment, or 
fatigue. 


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, THE WELCOME OF A FRIEND 127 

Teach me, dear Lord, how to lighten the burdens 
of others ; how, without gossiping, to listen to and 
feel with those in trouble, not inflicting useless 
advice, not wearying with barren sympathy, but 
exerting myself to be really helpful. Show me 
how to deal prudently and tactfully with difficul- 
ties, taking heed lest, instead of drawing out a 
sting, I envenom it. 

I ask of Thee, Lord, the spirit of gentleness; 
a compassionate heart fashioned after the likeness 
of Thine own ; tender to the sick, the weak, the 
erring, the little children, the mourners; eager 
to pursue at the cost of labour and weariness, at 
the risk of rebuff, even one soul ; ready to give 
generously time, interest, sympathy, self-denying 
help to those in need. 

Let the sight of Thee halting on the road to 
Calvary to speak to the women of Jerusalem — 
forgetting the throbbing, thorn-crowned head, 
the lacerated body, the agonising soul, to think of 
them, to provide for them — have force to take 
me out of myself in pain of body and mind ; to 
make me forget my own grievances in order to 
bring to others sympathy and help. 

I ponder the first words from the Cross; the 
strong cry for Thy crucifiers ; the merciful promise 
to the robber by Thy side ; the filial provision 
for Thy disconsolate Mother. But I forget the 
intolerable, anguish of body and of soul in whioh 


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those words were spoken. It was the most awful 
of death throes, the fiercest pangs of dereliction 
that were calmly put aside to make way for the 
needs of others. Ah, Lord, and a slight headache 
or annoyance, a little press of work, is enough to 
make me preoccupied, inconsiderate and churlish 
to all around me ! 

Dear Master, have patience with me. Teach 
me the lesson of sacrifice Thou hast taught to so 
many. Let me learn it from my crucifix. Let 
me learn it from the daily Sacrifice of Thyself 
upon our altars. Let me learn it from the Host 
within my breast, Love’s supreme effort to humble 
itself to us, to spend itself for us, to prove its 
delights are to be with the dear children of men. 

Oblation and Petition , p. 87. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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PATIENT 


i 


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THE WELCOME OF A PATIENT 


I 

“ Virtue went out from Him and healed all.” 
— Luke vi 

“ And whithersoever He entered , into towns or 
into villages , they laid the sick in the streets , and 
besought Him that they might touch but the hem of 
His garment ; and as many as touched Him were 
made whole” — Mark vi 


before GDcmtmmfcn. 

What excitement there must have been when 
He was expected in a town; what eagerness of 
the sick ; what joy of their friends as they laid 
them in rows along the narrow streets to await 
His coming ! Here a group of children round a 
dying father. Here a mother, bedridden for 
years, propped up by her daughters. Here, at a 
corner, a little boy with his blind grandfather. 
All watching, waiting, with breathless impatience. 

* 3 * 


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All, not hoping, but knowing their sick will go 
home cured — the father in the midst of his 
rejoicing family ; the mother walking between her 
daughters ; the blind man of so many years look- 
ing with delight on the face of his little grandson 
and guide. Can we realise such a state of things, 
such expectancy, such jubilation ? The extra place 
at table prepared at home before they set out : the 
sick-room for which there will be no further need, 
tidied up: the children keeping watch on the 
road to catch the first sight of our Lord : their 
shouts of joy when along the white dusty way 
appear signs of His crowd ! 

And He is coming to-day — to me ! 

Thy visit will remind Thee, O Lord, of the old 
days in Galilee and Judea when there pressed 
round Thee a crowd of deaf and dumb, palsied, 
and lame, and blind. And I shall be reminded 
of those blessed days when Thou, laying Thy hand 
on every one of them, healed them. Thy work 
in my soul is more directly that which brought 
Thee down from heaven, than the cure of bodily 
disease. If Thou wert pleased to show Thyself 
so liberal in the lesser need, it was to encourage 
me to draw near to Thee, to touch Thee in Holy 
Communion with faith and hope, to lay open to 
Thee, divine Physician, the wounds of my soul 
that Thou mayst heal them. This is what I have 


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THE WELCOME OF A PATIENT 133 

come to do now. Look on me kneeling at Thy 
feet, and pity me and help me. 

I am leprous — covered with the unsightly and 
dangerous sores of my many sins. Lord, if Thou 
wilt, Thou canst make me clean. Say to me : u I 
will ; be thou made clean.” 

I am sick and weak — for ever halting on the 
upward road ; soon tired ; easily discouraged ; 
unequal to serious or prolonged effort; always 
looking out for ease and rest. 

I am blind. What others see clearly is dim 
and confused to me. That eternity is coming, 
and coming fast ; that I must prepare for death 
and judgment ; that I can only live my life once 
— all this I believe as the blind man believes in 
colour. But such belief is not enough for me to 
square my life by. The eyes of my soul must be 
opened to perceive what I hold by faith. Lord, 
that I may see ! 

I am blind to the beauties of material creation 
that mirror Thee, the Eternal, Uncreated Beauty, 
and that lose their meaning unless they lift my 
soul to Thee in thanksgiving and praise. I am 
blind to the far fairer creations of grace in the 
souls of those around me. So little serves to 
obscure my sight. So thin a veil hides Thee from 
me. How often a keener faith, a truer apprecia- 
tion would descry, shining through the human 
frailty that scandalises me, the beauty of the 


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WELCOME! 


spirit made to Thy likeness, my God! Lord, 
that I may see, that I may see ! 

I am blind to my faults, prompt, at least, to 
excuse in myself what I heartily condemn in 
another. I am negligent in my duty of super- 
vision, blind to harm going on around me which 
I ought to know and check and for which I shall 
be held accountable. My God, illuminate my 
darkness. Lord, that I may see ! 

I am deaf. Inspirations come and I heed them 
not. I know they are Thy voice, prompting or 
reproaching me, suggesting a good thought, a 
kind word or act. But if obedience to them 
involves trouble or self-sacrifice, I pretend not 
to hear. Make me more honest, more generous 
with Thee, my God. Let me be glad to know 
Thy Will in great things, in little things, in things 
that cost. Let it be a real prayer when I say . 
44 Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” 

I am dumb. Not in the company of those 
needy like myself, unwilling to aid, or powerless. 
But in Thine, 0 my Father, who art rich in 
mercy, who givest to all abundantly, and with 
loving insistence dost press upon me Thy good 
gifts In the presence of Thy Beauty and Thy 
Goodness I am mute. No praise wells up in my 
heart; no cry for mercy comes to my lips. I 
have no eager welcome for Thee who dost come 
so far to be my Guest. 0 Lord, open Thou my 


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THE WELCOME OP A PATIENT 135 

lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. Set 
my heart free to pour itself out before Thee. 
Teach me to pray, that by prayer I may obtain 
from Thee the supply of all I need. 

Leprous, palsied, blind, deaf, duml> — surely I 
need the visit of the Physician ! 

“Take courage and fear not. Behold your 
God Himself will come and will save you. Then 
shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the 
ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall 
the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of 
the dumb shall be free 99 (Isa. xxxv.). 

“Our soul waiteth for the Lord, for He is our 
Helper and Protector ” (Ps. xxxi.). 

44 The eyes of all hope in Thee, O Lord. . . . 
Thou openest Thy hand and fillest with blessing 
every living creature 99 (Ps. cxliv.). 

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Son 
of David, have mercy on me. 

after ffrnnimmfon, 

44 1 adore the Lord my God, for He is the living 
God” (Dan. xiv.). 

44 Adore Him, all you His Angels ” (Ps. xcvi). 

44 Exalt ye the Lord our God 99 (Pa xcviii.). 

44 0 magnify the Lord with me, and let us 
extol His Name together 99 (Ps. xxxiil). 


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WELCOME! 


136 

" I will give glory to the Lord, and will sing to 
the Name of the Lord the Most High ” (Ps. vii.). 

“ I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with my 
whole heart, and I will glorify Thy Name for 
ever” (Ps. lxxxv.). 

“ Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and let all that is 
within me bless His holy Name” (Ps. cii.). 

“ Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who healeth 
all thy diseases ” (Id.). 

“ Blessed be the Name of His Majesty for ever. 
So be it. So be it ” (Ps. lxxi.). 

“ The Lord will take away from thee all sickness 
and the grievous infirmities which thou knowest ” 
(Deut. vii.). 

“ More friendly than a brother 99 (Prov. xviii.), 
dearest Lord, Thou didst show Thyself to all the 
sorrowing and heavy-laden. No sores were too 
loathsome for Thy touch ; no sickness however 
inveterate but had to yield to Thy word : “ All 
they that had any disease were brought to Him, 
and He, laying His hand on every one of them, 
healed them. ,, 

And Thou — the same as then — art with me now. 
With the same, nay, with greater compassion, 
Thou dost behold the wounds of my soul. I am 
too apt to think that whilst the infirmities of the 
body call for Thy pity, Thou hast only anger and 
indignation for those of the soul. Yet Thy gentle- 


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THE WELCOME OF A PATIENT 137 

ness with simurs and Thy tender handling of their 
wounds should teach me confidence. I cast 
myself, then, at Thy feet. I place myself be- 
neath Thy healing hand. I wait for the word that 
will cure, though not all at once, my pride, my 
hastiness of temper, my coldness in prayer, my 
uncharitable tongue, my neglect of distasteful 
duties. Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst. Say but 
the word ! 

The doctor when he comes on his rounds expects 
from the ward Sister an intelligent account of her 
patient’s condition. She should show an accurate 
chart of pulse, respiration, temperature. She 
must be able to report on sleep or the want of it, 
and on any change in the nature or in the chief 
features of the disease. She is eyes and ears to 
the doctor in his absence, and his treatment de- 
pends to a great extent on her watchfulness and 
truthful statement of what she sees and hears. 

I am the nurse appointed to tend my sick soul. 
And I am ashamed to own that I am a very in- 
different, not to say careless nurse. I shirk work. 
I take little trouble to ascertain the wants of my 
charge. I expose it to injury. I neglect its food 
and medicine. I sleep when I should watch. 
What account can I give when my knowledge is 
so superficial and all my nurse’s instincts are at 
fault ? 


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Happily the Divine Physician knows all. He 
needs not that any should give testimony of 
man, for He knows what is in man. “ For every 
heart is understood by Him ” (Ecclus. xvi.). 44 The 
eyes of the Lord behold the good and the evil ” 
(Prov. xv.). 44 All the ways of a man are open 

to His eyes” (Id.). 

All-wise and compassionate Physician, forgive 
my negligence. To Thee I commit my charge. 
“ 0 God, I beseech Thee, heal her ” (Num. xii). 
Have pity on her because she is my only one. 
And give me the. instincts and the virtues of my 
calling, in which I am so sadly wanting. Nurs- 
ing demands untiring energy, vigilance, cheerful- 
ness, and an inexhaustible stock of patience. 
There is the trouble necessary for ascertaining 
the nature of the disease — its supposed cause, its 
time and mode of onset — with a view to its proper 
treatment. There is the marking of the chart 
morning and evening. There is watching day 
and night. There is firmness to withhold unwise 
indulgence. There is medicine and feeding timed. 
Then the mending is so slow. Temperature rises 
at the least provocation. The patient will do 
what is imprudent, and there are relapses, and 
all the treatment has to be begun over again. 
Monotonous work when it goes on year after year. 
More monotonous, perhaps, when the patient to 
be treated is my own soul. 


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THE WELCOME OF A PATIENT 139 

Never to weary of the daily round of duty, of 
the vigilance, the precautions, the relapses ; never 
to despair of my charge — Lord, it is hard. What 
should we do, “ I and my soul ” (Tobias xiii), but for 
the cheering visits of the Physician. He is long- 
suffering and kind. He is prepared for anything 
in the shape of capriciousness, restlessness, per- 
versity. He shows neither surprise, nor disgust, 
nor disappointment ; bearing all things, believing 
all things, hoping all things. To-day with bright 
eager faces we welcome Him to our bedside. To- 
morrow, heavy and discouraged, we have scarcely 
a word of thanks for His coming. He takes us 
as we are. He knows our imperfect being. We 
have not to deal with one who cannot have com- 
passion on our infirmities, but with Him who 
has said: “They that are whole need not the 
physician, but they that are sick ” (Luke v.). 

Courage, then, my soul ! “ Is not He thy Father 
that hath possessed thee, and made thee, and 
created thee?” (Deut. xxxii.). “A forgiving God, 
gracious and merciful, long-suffering and full of 
compassion” (2 Esdras ix.). He is mighty to for- 
give ” (Ecclus. xvi.). “ He will have mercy on thee 
more than a mother” (Ecclus. iv.). “The Lord 
will take away from thee all sickness and the 
grievous infirmities which thou knowest. He 
raiseth up the soul, and enlighteneth the eyes, 


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and giveth health, and life, and blessing 77 (Ecclus. 
xxxiv.). “This only take care of with all diligence, 
that you love the Lord your God 77 (Jos. xxiii.). 

“ I will close up thy scar, and will heal thee of 
thy wounds, saith the Lord 77 ( J er. xxx.). 

u Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed ; save 
me, and I shall be saved 77 (Jer. xvii.). 

Oblation and Petition , p. io. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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II 


“ He, laying His hands on every one of them , 
healed ihem . n — Luke iv. 


Before fifcmununfon. 

Two things strike us specially in the account of 
our Lord’s cures — their number, and their being 
due in almost every case to contact with the 
Sacred Humanity. “And coming to her He 
lifted her up, taking her by the hand ” (Mark 
i.). 44 And Jesus stretched forth His hand, and 

touching him saith to him : I will, be thou made 
clean” (Id.). “ Then He touched their eyes . . . 

and their eyes were opened ” (Matt. ix.). 14 He 

put His fingers into his ears, and touched his 
tongue. And immediately his ears were opened 
and the string of his tongue was loosed ” (Mark 
vii.). That life and healing lay in His simple 
touch was well known : 44 Come, lay Thy hand 
upon her and she shall live ” (Matt. ix.). 44 They 

* 4 * 


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brought to Him a blind man, and they besought 
Him that He would touch Him” (Mark viii.). 
“If I shall touch but His garment I shall be 
whole ” (Mark v.). “ All the multitude sought 

to touch Him, for virtue went out from Him and 
healed all” (Luke vi.). 

Note the repetition of the word “all” in 
reference to our Lord's cures. “Jesus went 
about all Galilee . • . healing all manner of sick- 
ness and every infirmity among the people. And 
His fame went throughout all Syria, and they 
presented to Him all sick people that were taken 
with divers diseases and torments, and such as 
were possessed by devils, and lunatics, and 
those that had the palsy, and He cured them ” 
(Matt. iv.). And when the sun was down, all they 
that had any sick with divers diseases, brought 
them to Him. But He laying His hands on 
every one of them, healed them (Luke iv.). 

In no case, indeed, are we told of His touching 
any sufferer actually possessed by the devil. He 
“commanded” or “threatened” the evil spirit 
and he went out. But as soon as the poor victim 
was freed from his thraldom, he was permitted 
close approach to his Saviour. “ They found the 
man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting 
at His feet ” (Luke viii.). “ And crying out and 
greatly tearing him, the devil went out of him, 
and he became as one dead. . . . But Jesus 


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THE WELCOME OP A PATIENT 143 

taking him by the hand lifted him up” (Mark 
ix.). 

The same law holds good now. The soul that 
has actually given itself over to “ the most wicked 
one” by mortal sin may not dare in that state 
to draw near by Sacramental Communion to 44 the 
Holy One of God.” But the instant that by a 
good confession it is restored to grace, it may 
enjoy His intimate Presence by whom it has been 
healed. 

It is characteristic of the Son of Man to will 
that cure should come from contact with His 
sacred flesh. During His life on earth it was the 
exception when He healed ac a distance. But 
healing was dealt out broadcast to those who put 
themselves within reach of His touch. “He, 
laying His hands on every one of them, healed 
them.” Not a word about merits. They came to 
Him. That was enough. He healed them. 

44 Behold the hand of the Lord is not shortened ” 
(Isa. lix.). He wills that virtue should go out 
from Him still. His complaint is still : 44 You 
will not come to Me that you may have life” 
(John v.). His promise holds good from age to 
age : 44 He that eateth Me, the same also shall live 
by Me. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh 
My blood hath everlasting life, and I will raise 
him up at the last day ” (John vi.). \nd His 
threat, too, holds good : 44 Except you eat the 


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flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you 
shall not have life in you ” (Id.). 

True, certain conditions are required. We 
must “prove ourselves,” as the Apostle says. 
We must not give Him the kiss of Judas, and 
draw near to Him in order to betray Him. Is 
this asking too much? It is all He asks. At 
least it is all He strictly requires. The man who 
last night was in mortal sin, His enemy, meriting 
eternal banishment from Him, may, restored to 
grace this morning, draw near to embrace Him, 
to receive from Him the kiss of peace and the 
welcome due to a friend. It helps us to know 
how little He exacts. Not that we shall content 
ourselves with that little, but that, set at rest as 
to the fulfilment of His easy conditions, we may 
approach Him, as He so earnestly desires, with 
the love that casteth out fear. 

Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter 
under my roof. I am not worthy — but I have a 
right The starving poor may take food where 
and how they can; their right is their need. 
The sick poor may come to the dispensary and 
have their ailments cared for “ without money and 
without any price.” Thus it is that I claim Thee, 
0 Bread of Life, O remedy of all my ills. Thou 
knowest my soul through and through, its weak- 
ness, its dangerous diseases, its need of Thy 


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THE WELCOME OF A PATIENT 145 

healing touch. And never was remedy so near. 
Not His garment, but Himself, Body and Blood, 
and Soul, and Divinity given as medicine to my 
soul. Again, as in the days of His life on earth, 
He goes to and fro amongst us, healing all 
manner of sickness and every infirmity. Again 
there come to Him the blind and the lame in the 
Temple, pressing upon Him for to touch Him, as 
many as have evils ” (Mark iii.). 

" 0 kind Physician, I come to Thee ; I commit 
myself to Thy hands. Heal me, 0 Lord, and I 
shall be healed ; save me, and I shall be saved ” 
(Jer. xvii.). Give me that Good in which is all 
good, which is life, vigour, growth, the cure of 
every disease, the satisfying of every need. For 
how hast Thou not with Thyself given us all 
things 1 

after ffiflmmtmfotk 

Adoro Te )m devote, latens Deltas . 

Devoutly I adore Thee, 0 Hidden God 
e< Adore Him, all you His Angels” (Ps. xcvLJ* 
*/ Exalt ye the Lord our God ” (Ps. xcviii.). 

“ 0 magnify the Lord with me, and let us extol 
His Name together” (Ps. xxxiii). 

“ Because He that is mighty hath done great 
things to me, and holy is His Name ” (Luke i.). 

“ Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and let all that is 
within me bless His holy Name” (Ps. cii.). 

E 


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“ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee ” (Ps. cii.). 

u Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who healeth 
all thy diseases” (Id.). 

“ He raiseth up the soul and enlighteneth the 
eyes, and giveth health, and life, and blessing ” 
(Ecclus. xxxiv.). 

u Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed ; save 
me, and I shall be saved ” (Jer. xvii.). 

" Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee ” 
(Ps. xl). 

“O God, I beseech Thee, heal her” (Hum. 
xii.). 

I adore Thee profoundly, O Sacred Humanity 
of my Saviour, source of all our good : 

0 face on which the angels desire to look, on 
which Mary looked continually, and worshipped 
with the adoration of the creature and the delight 
of the Mother's heart — I adore Thee. 

O hands that lay swathed in the manger and 
fastened with cruel nails to the Cross : that cured 
every disease and every infirmity ; that cAqJed 
the wasting heat of the fever-stricken, and were 
laid so tenderly on our sores ; that gave sight to 
the blind, and hearing to the deaf, and strength 
and grace to the palsied and the deformed — I 
adore you here truly present, and commit myself 
to you for healing and for blessing ! 0 feet that 


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THE WELCOME OP A PATIENT 147 

went wearily to and fro seeking the lost sheep ; 
that were anointed and kissed by Magdalen and 
held fast for the adoration of the faithful women 
on the morning of their resurrection from the 
dead — I adore you and bless you, and kiss the dear 
wounds you bore for me ! 

O Heart which had compassion on the hungry 
and the shepherdless, on the widow and the out- 
cast, and poor perverse Jerusalem; that beat 
quicker at the welcome of those who loved Thee, 
and wert sorrowful even unto death at the deser. 
tion and betrayal of Thine own; O Heart that 
loved me and delivered Thyself for me, that art 
beating now with love for me close to my own 
poor heart — I adore Thee and bless Thee for all 
Thou hast done and suffered for my salvation, for 
all the wonders Thou hast wrought to give Thy- 
self to me to-day ! 

Let me see, my God, by Thy divine light the 
hidden things of my own heart, those things that 
my pride keeps from me. As long as I turn 
away my eyes from what is repulsive in me, I 
shalP&e in darkness ; there will be a veil between 
myself and Thee. “ Rabboni, that I may see ! ” 
The cry of the blind man of Jericho is my cry. 
Let me know myself and know Thee ; know my- 
self that I may come to know Thee. If Thou art 
not to me what Thou art to Thy Saints, it is 
because I do not know Thee as they do. I do not 


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WELCOME! 


see as they see Thy Beauty, Thy Goodness, Thy 
Tenderness, Thy Love. Lord, that I may see! 
see Thy beauty in all the mysteries of Thy blessed 
life ; Thy goodness in all Thou hast done for me ; 
Thy tenderness in Thy Beal Presence with me, 
and in the forgiveness of my many sins ; Thy love 
in all that happens to me. Lord, make me quick 
to see Thee everywhere and in all things — Lord, 
that I may see ! 

My God, I believe. I am cold, hard, dry, but I 
believe firmly in Thy Beal Presence within me. 
I believe that Thou art nearer to me than to the 
friends of Thy life on earth, who received Thee 
under their roofs, who were rocked with Thee in 
Peter's boat, who led Thee to their sick and to 
the grave of their dead, who brought their little 
children to Thy feet. 

My God, I hope in Thee. Not as I ought 
when I think of Thy mercies to me, and of Thy 
promises. But I trust Thee and trust myself to 
Thee, with all I have, with all I love, all my 
interests, all I need for my happiness in this life 
and the next. Give me light to see Thy goodness 
in all things that I may trust Thee more. Let 
me count on Thee like Martha and Mary, and 
cast all my care on Thee, certain that every 
prayer is heard, that Thou wilt bring help in Thy 
own time and in the best time. 

My God, I love Thee. Not as Thy goodnes* 


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deserves to be loved, but as much as I can love 
Thee now. Enkindle my heart with the love of 
Thy own now so near to mine. 

My God, I long to sorrow for my sins purely for 
Thy sake, for love of Thee. Wert Thou to offer 
me one of two graces, perfect contrition or final 
perseverance, I think I should choose the first. 
Yet I must have that last grace which will put 
me in possession of Thee for ever. Then give 
them both to me that for all eternity I may 
glorify the mercy that has been so good, so good 
to me, a sinner. 

Oblation. Petition , pp. 169, 371. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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III 


“ Is there no physician there f Why , then, is not 
the wound of the daughter of My people closed ? ” 
— Jer. viii. 


Before (Communion, 

Why ? Perhaps through some want of docility to 
the prescriptions of the Physician, through some 
imprudence in venturing rashly into occasions of 
harm. Perhaps because He sees fit to work a 
gradual cure. It is not with sick souls as with 
the generality of the infirm of Judea and Galilee 
in the days of His Ministry. The healing of 
these was instantaneous. But this is not His 
usual way of dealing with spiritual ailments. 
Their cure, like that of the blind man of Bethsaida, 
is worked by little and little. “ And laying His 
hands on him He asked him if he saw anything. 
And looking up, he said : I see men as it were 
trees walking. After that again He laid His hands 

150 


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THE WELCOME OP A PATIENT 151 

upon his eyes and he began to see, and was restored, 
so that he saw all things clearly ” (Mark viii). 

If I want a perfect restoration I must bring 
myself often within His reach. I must feel 
again and again the touch of the Divine hands. 
It needs no great penetration into the counsels of 
God to see the gain to me of this His usual way 
of leading souls to sanctification. Left for a time, 
perhaps for a very long time, to struggle with my 
evil inclinations, I learn humility and patience, 
and find continual occasions of merit. Meantime, 
amid alternate manifestations of strength and 
weakness, the work goes forward, especially in 
the precious moments when the great Physician is 
with me, by His Presence and His touch perfect- 
ing my cure. 

How little improvement the three years’ close 
companionship with our Lord seemed to work in 
the Twelve. They noticed no striking change in 
one another, they were conscious of none in them- 
selves* But He saw a steady transformation 
going forward, and rejoiced. He saw how the 
love of Himself, which brings with it all good, was 
gradually raising their standards, was widening, 
purifying, and kindling their hearts, and preparing 
the material for the fire which at Pentecost was 
to descend upon them and transform them into 
other men. Slowly and quietly, as is the wont 
with the works of God, they grew in the know- 


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t 5 2 

ledge and likeness of the Bon of God, till each in 
his measure and capacity, and according to the 
designs of God over him, became alter Chridus> 
a second Christ. So will it be with ns. Those 
about us, nay, we ourselves, may see no appreciable 
difference in our lives for many a day. Our many 
imperfections, our clinging selfishness, may seem 
to clog our way as persistently as ever. But we 
must not lose heart. “And he put his mouth 
upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and 
his hands upon his hands . . . and the child’s 
flesh grew warm” (4 Kings iv.). To a closer 
union still our Lord condescends that He may 
Warm my frozen heart. Not all at once, but 
surely, His Heart close to mine will kindle it. I 
shall know it. I shall feel it. I shall be con- 
strained to say with humble gratitude to the God 
of the Eucharist : “ He that is mighty hath done 
great things for me.” 

I must bear in mind, however, that dispositions 
count for much in this transformation. Though 
the Holy Eucharist by the mere fact of its recep- 
tion in a state of grace adds to the soul’s merit 
here and glory hereafter, yet, like the seed sown 
in varying degrees of good soil, its fruit will be 
here thirty, here sixty, here a hundredfold. In 
one Communion is grace enough to cure every 
disease and supply every need. But our im- 
perfect dispositions hinder the effect of the 


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THE WELCOME OF A PATIENT 153 

Sacrament and interfere sadly with the loving 
designs of our Lord, who comes to us eager to 
enrich and make us happy. 

Oh that He would satisfy this desire of His, 
and for His own sake would prepare His way 
and increase the capacity of our souls ! “ Open 

thy mouth wide and I will fill it" (Ps. lxxx.), 
He says. “ You that thirst, come to the waters ” 
(Isa. lv.). 

My God, there is so much to be done in 
my soul. So much to be purified, enlightened, 
warmed, remodelled, restored. So much lost 
time to be repaired; so much grace forfeited 
to be made good ; so many missed opportunities 
that, alas, can never return, to be compensated 
by more strenuous efforts now. 0 Lord, help me, 
make haste to help me. Remember that all 
power is given Thee in heaven and on earth. 
Thou art Lord of all, and there is none that can 
resist Thy Will" (Esther xiii.). Thou canst 
produce mature fruits quickly, Thou canst lay 
foundations late. Say but the word and my soul 
shall be healed. O Lord, make haste to help me 1 
“ Do it for Thy Name’s sake ” (Jer. xiv.). 

u 1 have regarded My own holy Name. ... It 
is not for your sake that I will do this, O house 
of Israel, but for My holy Name’s sake. ... I will 
give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within 


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154 ' 

you. And I will take the stony heart out of your 
flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will 
put My Spirit in the midst of you” (Ezechiel 
xxxvi.). 


after (Ecmmumon. 

“ O ye Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, 
praise and exalt Him above all for ever * 
(Dan. iii.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever ” (Ps. xlvii.). 

“ Praise ye the Name of the Lord, O you His 
servants, you that stand in the house of the 
Lord, in the courts of the house of our God* 
(Ps. cxxxiv.). 

“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us 
extol His Name together ” (Ps. xxxiii.). 

“ For He hath satisfied the empty soul, and 
hath filled the hungry soul with good things* 
(Ps. cvi.). 

“Give glory to the Lord for He is good, for 
His mercy endureth for ever ” (Id.). 

“ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee ” (Ps. cii.). 

a He raiseth up the soul and enlighteneth the 
eyes, and giveth health, and life, and blessing 99 
(Ecclus. xxxiv.). 

How hath He not with Himself given us all 
things 1 


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THE WELCOME OP A PATIENT 155 

“ Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift n 
(2 Cor. ix.). 

“Lord, I suffer violence, answer for me” 
(Isa. xxxviii.). I believe most firmly that Thou 
art here present. I know that the Master is 
come and calleth for me. And I am powerless 
to rouse myself to anything like response. All 
that faith does is to keep painfully before me 
what I ought to be and to do. It does not 
go on to supply the need: it does not lead to 
worship, and thanksgiving, and love. Effort 
only tires. Self-reproach irritates and makes 
things worse. What shall I do, Lord? What 
is there that I can do ? 

Lie still before Thee like the poor paralytic 
on his couch ; look wistfully ; wait patiently ; be 
glad that Thy glory is not dependent on any 
exertion or achievement of mine ; take comfort 
from the thought that the physician does not look 
for entertainment on the part of his patient. He 
comes to see, not what should be, but what is. 
O Physician of my soul, I am best seen by Thee 
at my worst. Thy visit is well timed. Take Thy 
seat by my bedside ; lay my fevered hand in Thine ; 
note how weak I am. Scarcely can I turn my head 
to look at Thee, or speak a word, or give a smile of 
welcome. Lord, I suffer violence, answer for me. 

The physician questions the nurse. Lord, 


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IS 6 

Thou knowest all things and needest not to 
ask of any. My soul is the work of Thy hands. 
Its every disease and infirmity, each flaw, and 
ache, and sore is known to Thee, better known 
than to itself. And the sources whence all these 
spring ; the fund of misery which is the fallen 
creature’s heritage ; its hidden springs of action ; 
its capabilities ; its limitations — all this is known 
to Thee. “ For neither is there any creature 
invisible in Thy sight, but all things are naked 
and open to Thine eyes” (Heb. iv.). If such a 
One shall answer for us, will not all be well? 
His knowledge of us is our hope. For we have 
not a Physician who cannot have compassion on 
our infirmities. u For He knoweth our frame, He 
remembereth that we are dust ” (Ps. cii.). 

To answer for another is not to ignore or slur 
over what is faulty, but to make common cause 
with the defaulter. Do this for me, 0 merciful 
Advocate.' Stand in my stead; undertake my 
defence ; meet all charges against me. The 
miserable welcome I give Thee to-day may be 
the result of my own wrong-doing or of physical 
causes; in either case, answer for me. Thou 
who knowest my frame, who seest what calls 
for blame in my state, and what for pity- 
answer for me, find excuse for me. With the 
sinner Thais I cry to Thee : “ Thou who hast 
made me, have mercy on me.” 


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44 What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Son of 
the most High God,” cried the evil spirit in the 
synagogue of Capharnaum. It was a wail of 
despair. The poor ruined creature recognised 
the presence of God made man, the promised 
Saviour, but knew that it was not for its sake He 
had come. 

0 Jesus, my Saviour, it is for us, it is for me 
that Thou art here. I have everything to do 
with Thee. Thou art more to me than father, 
mother, sister, brother. I am Thy redeemed one, 
bought with a great price; Thy strayed sheep 
brought back on Thy shoulders to the fold ; Thy 
friend invited to Thy table, fed with Bread 
from heaven. Jesus, who to save me wert made 
man and dwelt amongst us ; Jesus, who hast loved 
me even unto the death of the Cross ; Jesus, who 
hast delivered me from the wrath to come — I have 
everything to do with Thee. Thou art all in all 
to me. For what have I in heaven, and besides 
Thee what do I desire upon earth. Thou art the 
God of my heart, and the God that is my portion 
for ever. 


Oblation and Petition . , p. 87. 
Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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I 

On the Seashore. 

Before Communion* 

Is there a more beautiful picture in the Gospels, 
even in St. Luke’s picture Gospel, than the closing 
scene of St. John’s? 

The disciples are gathered round our Lord 
after their miraculous haul of fish. It is on the 
shore of the Sea of Galilee, that spot rich on 
every side with memories of their Master. Far 
into the distance stretches the pebbly beach, 
recalling their vocation three years ago, when 
they left all things to follow Him. Yonder, 
behind the mountains, lies the plain where He 
fed the hungry multitude. High up is the ledge 
of rock where He prayed that night of the 
miracle, the tempest howling round Him. Down 
those slopes He came to them, and across the 

s6s I» 


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stormy waves. Here He had taught from Peter's 
boat. Here too, once before, He had blessed 
their fishing, and promised that thenceforth they 
should catch men. 

It is early morning ; no one about as yet, save 
in the distance a few fishermen coming in dis- 
appointed after a toilsome night. The seven have 
Him all to themselves, for since the Resurrection 
He comes for His friends alone. 

The Resurrection — what memories that word 
awakens! What they have learned since then. 
They look back upon their three years' com- 
panionship with Jesus of Nazareth, and marvel 
at the Providence of God. The path that 
so plainly led to Calvary was hidden from 
them lest they should be scandalised and fall 
away from Him. He spoke of what was to 
come, and they understood not. He told them 
that the Shepherd should be struck, and that 
the flock would be scattered, and they had met 
His warnings with vehement protestation. Then 
the storm had broken over them. It had swept 
them from His side for a brief space, but His 
love had sought them, His arm had gathered 
them again, and here on the seashore they were 
round Him once more. 

All was clear now — how it was meet that 
Christ should suffer and so enter into His glory ; 
how the disciples must be as their Lord, and 


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through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom 
of God. 

See them, these seven — Peter has swum ashore, 
and his rough seaman’s coat is dripping on the 
sand. But He is absolutely unconscious of dis- 
comfort. His weather-beaten face is aglow with 
love and enthusiasm as he looks upon the Face of 
his Master. Not a trace in him of diffidence or 
depression. Was he not forgiven ? Had not the 
Lord made right the past and restored all he had 
forfeited ? Why should he not rejoice with the 
innocent, and be foremost in the service still ? It 
was Peter who led out to that night’s fishing ; he 
who at John’s whispered word : “ It is the Lord,” 
had cast himself into the sea with the old eager- 
ness for a secret word before the rest sliould 
come. It was he who at his Master’s bidding 
went up and drew the net to land full of great 
fishes, one hundred and fifty-three. In reward 
of his profession, not of faith as at Caesarea 
Philippi, but of love, he is presently to receive 
the charge of the whole flock, and the promise of 
a death like to his Lord’s whereby to glorify God. 
Eager, trusting soul, how dear he is to Christ I 

Close to him is Thomas. He had missed too 
much by btdng parted from Peter to risk separa- 
tion from him any more. See him feasting eyes 
and heart on his Lord and his God, for whom in 
his loyalty he had desired to die* 


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164 

And Bartholomew, the guileless, fit companion 
for John. 

And John himself, with that far-reaching gaze 
of his penetrating the mysteries of “ the Word of 
life which was from the beginning, which he had 
heard, and seen, and handled ” ( 1 John i.) with 
such familiarity in the past. How he marvels at 
his boldness in laying his head on that breast, at 
the love that had made him, among the beloved, 
a the disciple whom Jesus loved.” 

Feel the freshness of the morning breeze. See 
the blue Lake ; the fire flickering on the strand ; 
the silvery, moving mass of fish; our Lord in 
His own affectionate way inviting the disciples : 
“ Come and dine ” ; taking His place among 
them; helping them. See the awe and be- 
wildered delight with which they gaze on Him 
and take food from His hand. 

Notice in Christ our Lord the marvellous 
union of the human and the divine. By a word 
He had filled their nets and provided fire and 
bread. Now with gentle courtesy He invites 
them to take refreshment: “Come and dine.” 
“ Come,” not “ Go.” “ And Jesus cometh and 
taketh bread and giveth them, and fish in like 
manner.” Is He not determined that they shall 
acknowledge Him for the same as heretofore? 
What wonder that with all their incredulity and 
hardness of heart they can no longer deny Him 


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the trust He seeks; that here on the seashore 
none of them who are at meat durst ask Him : 
u Who art Thou,” knowing that it is the Lord. 

When will His lowliness and His sweetness 
bear the same fruit in us? When will the 
urgency of His invitation bring us as eager guests 
to His table, our faith and trust so strong, that 
in spite of our unworthiness we have no mis- 
givings, " knowing that it is the Lord ” ? 

Our Divine Brother is “ like us in all things ” 
— yet how unlike! To forgive and forget is a 
hard task for us, but look at Him here at meat 
with the seven. For three years these men have 
been His carefully trained disciples. They have 
seen His miracles, and have been themselves 
entrusted with His miraculous powers. They 
have been His confidants and familiar friends. 
They declared their readiness to go with Him to 
prison and to death. And in the hour of His 
need — “ they all leaving Him, fled.” What 
wonder that when He returned to them from the 
dead, risen to an immortal life, they should be 
slow to believe He could ever be to them as 
before ; that they looked timidly into His Face 
to read there what they might expect. How 
did He meet that wistful glance ? How did He 
treat these friends, so frail, and yet withal so 
true ? With all the tenderness of His generous 


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self-forgetting Heart. It needed all the loving 
ways, nay, more than the affectionateness of the 
past to reassure them. Therefore it was that He 
gave to all abundantly, upbraiding not, gave with 
freer hand because of their greater need. More 
than ever must He identify Himself with them 
and share with them all He has. At the Last 
Supper He had said : “ I will not now call you 
servants, but I have called you friends.” After 
the Resurrection they are no longer friends, but 
“ brethren.” “Go to My brethren and say to 
them : I ascend to My Father and to your Father, 
to My God and your God.” 

He is the same now ; the same with us as with 
the seven on the seashore that day ; “Jesus Christ 
yesterday, to-day, and for ever.” When the fear 
of past or of present infidelity casts us down, let 
us draw near to that blessed group by the Lake, 
and see Him seated amid His brethren, the men 
who had denied and forsaken Him. And casting 
an eye upon the Tabernacle where He is with us 
still, hear Him say to us too : “ Fear not, it is I 
Myself.” 


after Communion. 

Whence is this to me that my Lord should 
come to me ? 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever ” (Ps. xlvii.). 


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THE WELCOME OF TRUST 167 

Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst 
enter under my root 

“ Let all Thy works, O Lord, praise Thee, and 
let Thy saints bless Thee ” (Ps. cxliv.). 

“ I will be glad and rejoice in Thee ” (Ps. ix.). 

“ I will extol Thee, O God my King : and I will 
bless Thy Name for ever, yea for ever and ever ” 
(Ps. cxliv.). 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants, 
and you that fear Him, little and great” (Apoc. 
xix.). 

“ Sing to the Lord, O ye His saints” (Pa 
xxix.). 

“ 0 love the Lord, all ye His saints ” (Ps. xxx.). 

“ Praise ye the Name of the Lord, O you His 
servants, you that stand in the house of the Lord, 
in the courts of the house of our God” (Pa 
cxxxiv.). 

" Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good ; sing 
ye to His Name, for it is sweet ” (Ps. cxxxiv.). 

I thank Thee, O dearest Lord, for all Thou 
art, all Thou hast been to me. Mine is a long* 
standing debt. From eternity to eternity Thou 
art God. From eternity to eternity I have been 
with Thee, to whom all things are present. I 
have had a place in Thy designs. I have had 
focussed upon me all the Wisdom, all the Love, 
of the eternal God. Every circumstance of my 


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life, even to its least detail, has been from eternity 
chosen by Him, in view of the position in His 
Court that is to be mine some day, of the place in 
His Heart that is mine now. 

I thank Thee, Lord, for the love with which 
from eternity Thou didst determine to become 
man for me ; to live a humble life for my example 
and consolation ; to go through Thy cruel Passion, 
to found Thy Church, to institute Thy Sacra- 
ments — for me. To leave the Bosom of the 
Father and become a wayfarer on earth, would 
cost Thee much : but Thou couldst pay the price 
— it was for me. The coldness and ingratitude 
of men, the scourging, the falling away of Thy 
friends, the desolation of Thy Blessed Mother, 
the dereliction on the Cross — all this would 
be hard to bear, but not too hard — it was 
for me. Oh what it would cost to furnish 
those “ Fountains of the Saviour 99 whence I was 
to draw with joy; to provide that Table at 
which I was to be ever a welcome guest ! Not 
with corruptible things, but with the last drop 
of His Blood was my Redemption to be pur- 
chased. I was to be bought with a great price, 
but He gave it willingly, eagerly, for it was to 
deliver me from the wrath to come. 

And the return 1 He saw it in Gethsemane, 
and was made sorrowful even unto death. He 
saw what I should account acknowledgment 


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sufficient for all He has done for me. He 
saw me assisting at His unbloody Sacrifice; 
He saw the sorrow I bring to the Sacrament 
of forgiveness; the welcome I give Him in the 
Sacrament of His love. Was it worth His while 
to do so much for such return as I should make 
Him? Yes, so He judged it. I should not be 
always irresponsive. At last the sense of His 
loving-kindness would break in upon my soul; 
I should come to realise something of the value 
of His unspeakable Gift; I should desire, at 
least, to return Him love for love. He could 
wait. He has waited until now. 

How long, O Lord, how long ? Has not the 
time come for my heart to make such response 
as it can to Thine ? “O my Lord, let me love 
Thee, and let the reward of my love be to love 
Thee daily more and more 99 (St. Ignatius). 

Oblation. 

*•* What shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy f 
Wherewith shall I kneel before the high God ? ” — 
Micheas vi. 

I have nothing but what is His gift to me. 
But His own gifts He will accept from my hand 
as if they were not already His; as if they were 
something of which He stands in need, and for 
the bestowal of which He accounts Himself my 


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170 

debtor. O loving Lord, how immense is Thy 
condescension to me, Thy needy creature; how 
tender Thy compassion for me, Thy little child ! 

I come to Thee, then, with all I have and am. 
I offer Thee my soul and body, all the good things 
of this life with which Thou hast blessed me — my 
family, my friends. My work and my amuse- 
ments, my responsibilities and my anxieties, my 
temptations and dangers, my desires and dis- 
appointments, all the circumstances and vicissi- 
tudes of life, all its trials and its consolations, all 
my interests for this world and the world to come, 
my life and my death — I offer them all to Thee^ 
dear Lord. 

And since this is still a worthless offering, I 
gather together and bring to Thee all the glory 
and praise rendered Thee from the beginning, and 
to be rendered throughout eternity by any of Thy 
creatures — the undistracted worship of the Angels ; 
the labours of the Apostles and of missioners to 
spread the knowledge of Thy Name ; the constancy 
of the Martyrs and of the multitude of meek 
sufferers who have followed Thee bearing their 
cross; the patience of the Confessors, and of all 
who in the ceaseless conflict with self hold on 
in spite of weariness and defeat, to the end ; all 
the purity of the Virgins; all the tears of those 
who have washed their robes and made them 
white in the Blood of the Lamb. I rejoice in the 


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THE WELCOME Of TRtJST 171 

love and loyalty of these Thy faithful servants, 
and offer it to Thee in reparation for my coldness 
and my sloth. I unite in the perfect worship and 
service of Thy one perfect creature, the Virgin 
most faithful, loftiest in dignity, lowliest in self- 
abasement before Thee. I offer Thee the worship 
that alone is adequate, alone is worthy of Thee— 
the praise, reverence, and service of Thy Incarnate 
Son ; all the sufferings of His infancy, the priva- 
tions of His youth, the hardships and persecutions 
of His manhood, the torments of His Passion, 
the glory of His Resurrection, His intercession 
for us in the heavens at Thy right hand, the 
unspeakable Gift of His Real Presence with us 
to the end of time, the pure Oblation, the per- 
petual Sacrifice with its infinite merits offered to 
Thy Name in every place throughout the world. 

Behold, O God our Protector, and look on th« 
Face of Thy Christ. How have we not also with 
Him given Thee all things ? 

Petition. 

** If thou didst know the Gift of God!" 

" O child, did you but know the power you have 
now over My Heart, you would do it a holy 
violence, you would wrest from Me the grace that 
the violent bear away. You would save sinners 
who are going to refuse their last grace. You 


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would rescue the little children whose parents 
have given them over to be slain. You would 
place at once in heaven the souls that are crying 
for your pity and your help. You would strengthen 
the hands and cheer the hearts of My dearly loved 
mission ers who carry My Name to those who 
know Me not. You would win the light of faith 
for those who are seeking it, and strength for 
those who have found the treasure but lack 
courage to sell all they have to purchase it. If 
you knew what I have done for you in giving you 
Myself, if you had faith as a grain of mustard 
seed, you would stretch out your hand to strong 
things (Prov. xxxi.). To the uttermost parts 
of the earth, and beyond the earth, into the 
dreary land of Purgatory, wherever redeemed 
souls are to be saved and helped, the fruits of your 
Communion would reach.” 

I wish, O Lord, that I could open Thy way into 
every heart, that I could put the keys of every 
fortress over the wide earth into Thy hands. 
But they are there already. Not only the keys 
of death and hell, but the key to every human 
heart is in Thy keeping. All its complex wards 
Thou knowest ; the rust of years that makes in- 
gress difficult is no bar to Thee. Every difficulty 
yields to Thy touch. Thou holdest the key, O 
Lord, nay, Thou art Thyself the key. “ O key of 
David, who openest, and no one shutteth ; shut- 


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THE WELCOME OF TRUST 173 

test, and no one openeth ; come, and deliver from 
prison the fettered sitting in darkness and in the 
shade of death.” 

I pray to Thee for all who are mine, all whom 
Thou hast given me to love and care for. May 
my Communion be their safeguard and their 
growth in grace to-day. May it be light, and 
strength, and consolation to our holy Father, the 
Pope, to all bishops and priests, to all who are 
striving to win souls to Thee, to the poor, the 
suffering, the tempted, the little children. May 
its grace flow through the Church like the river 
of the water of life through the Heavenly Jerusa- 
lem, and let its fruits be the healing of the 
nations. Let it flow to every soul outside the 
unity of the visible jJhurch, to my relatives and 
friends, to the poor heathen beyond the reach of 
sacramental grace. 0 Jesus, my heart sinks at 
the thought of the nine hundred millions of 
redeemed souls that now, in this twentieth 
century, have not as yet heard their Saviour's 
Name! Send forth labourers into the vineyard 
and bring to Thy knowledge and Thy love these 
multitudes bought with Thy Precious Blood. 
They say that Teresa won to Thee as many souls 
as Francis Xavier. The nee<J of intercessory 
prayer has not lessened since her day, and if 
there are not now Saints enough to move Thy 
mercy, what canst Thou do, 0 Lord, but hear the 


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prayers of sinners? Hear my prayer, it has 
more than the efficacy of a Saint’s to-day, it is 
Thine own, for Thou art mine. 

O Heart of Christ, Ark of the perishing world, 
to Thee all the elect are fleeing for safety from 
the wrath of God and the torrents of iniquity 
that cover the earth. Draw into Thy shelter, not 
only those who seek it, but those that seek it not 
and need it most. Thou wert opened on Calvary 
to admit us all, and through all time Thou 
remainest open that all who will may be saved 
by Thee. When the last of the elect shall have 
entered into salvation by Thee, the door will be 
closed and the wrath of God descending will 
consume all not found therein. 

O Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust 
in Thee, have mercy on us ! Heart of Jesus that 
hast delivered us from the wrath to come, draw all 
men to Thee, compel them to come in that the 
number of the saved may be multiplied. Wher- 
ever there is temptation to be overcome, innocence 
to be guarded, death to be met by sea or by land, 
final perseverance to be assured, the good to be 
supported, the weak to be strengthened, the 
fallen to be raised, the sad to be comforted — there 
let the fruit of Communion be ! 

Prayer before a Crucifix, pi Ifc 


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II 

"If Re delay , wait for Rim," — Hab. ii. 


JSrfote GTommtmtott. 

“ I wish our Lord were more to me,” we often 
say or think. Who does not wish this ? “ Who 

is there/* says k Kempis, “ that would not will- 
ingly receive comfort, if he could always have it ? ” 
But these heavenly visitations are few and far 
between. We could not be trusted with them 
often. God sometimes gives them plentifully, 
twice in a spiritual course — at the beginning, when 
the soul first turns to Him and has to be enticed 
into the narrow way of self-conquest ; and towards 
the close of the journey if it has been brave and, 
so to speak, merited a reward. But with the 
most of us, perhaps, as with our predecessors in 
the desert, “ God is not well pleased.” There is 
no particular reason why He should treat us as 

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176 

favourites, nor is there anything very special to 
reward. Hence, having got us safely into the 
way of salvation, He gives us abundantly all 
needful help, puts up with our niggardly service, 
sets right our mistakes, forgives our many lapses, 
and bears with us patiently when we cry out to 
Him for consolation and sweetness. 

“You know not what you ask,” He says to 
us at times, as to James and John. “Could 
you see your labour as I see it, you would be 
ashamed to ask for more than your promised 
penny. You would see, too, that what you 
ask would not be good for you, that it is safer 
and better to leave yourself in My hands, and 
like a well-behaved child take what is given you 
without wanting something else.” We notice 
that in the prayer our Lord has put into our 
mouth He bids us ask for all that is necessary 
for soul and body, not for dainties: “Give us 
this day our daily bread,” not “bread and butter.” 

Through the grace of adoption and the merits 
of our Elder Brother, we are “ followers of God 
as most dear children ” (Eph. v.). But it will help 
us, when we feel inclined to grumble, to remember 
what we are of ourselves, what our sins deserve. 
“We indeed justly receive the due reward of our 
deeds,” said the good thief. Which of us cannot 
say as much when troubles come, or the monotony 
of the daily tramp makes us sigh for the sense of 


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THE WELCOME OF TRUST 177 

His Presence whose companionship brightens the 
darkest and the dullest road ? “ When Jesus is 

present all goes well and nothing seems difficult, 
but when Jesus is absent everything is hard” 
(Imit. ii. 8). 

What can we do but brace ourselves to patience. 
It will not be always thus, and whether there be 
more of punishment or of simple trial in the 
present state of things, it will not last— our time 
of probation is coming to an end, and that soon : 
“ For yet a little and a very little while, and He 
that is to come, will come, and will not delay ” 
(Heb. x. 37). 

Meanwhile, let us look our difficulty fairly in 
the face. 

I am never tired of bemoaning the difficulties 
of prayer. I contrast conversation with God with 
the face to face intercourse, the response of eye 
and lip and ear that makes converse with a friend 
so precious and so helpful. 

But do I look at the other side, am I fair to 
prayer? The most sympathetic of friends cannot 
penetrate far into my soul, cannot change the 
circumstances of life that are troubling it, or its 
attitude towards those circumstances. But the 
Friend to whom I speak in prayer sounds my soul 
to its depths. His eye follows its windings into 
recesses which I do not even suspect. Hs see? 

M 


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the effect of every subtle influence upon it. He 
analyses every trouble. He can remove the cause, 
or soften its effect upon me, or brace me to bear 
and profit by it. He can work a change in my 
inmost being, in my views of life, in my estimate 
of success and failure, of position, influence, family 
or spiritual trials. He can supplement the 
deficiencies of my character. He can satisfy 
every aspiration of my mind, every need of my 
heart. When I lay my pain before Him with: 
li Lord, Thou knowest,” I bring to bear upon that 
pain all the Omniscience and Omnipotence of 
God, all, and infinitely more than all, the fellow- 
feeling of the most devoted of human friends. 
Is not this a set-off against the unsatisfactoriness 
of prayer of which I complain ? 

Lord, could I bring myself to think more of the 
inestimable boon Thou hast given me in prayer, 
than of what by the nature of things I cannot 
have as yet, how different my prayer would be ! 
My heart would be always lifting itself to Thee 
in thankfulness and trust. I should accept 
humbly the obscurities and limitations of this 
time of faith. But faith would grow to be so 
bright, and trust would win from Thee such 
abundant reward even here, that the veil would 
be half lifted. Prayer would come to be my 
resource and my delight. Thy injunction, “ Pray 
always,” would seem to be the most natural thing 


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• THE WELCOME OF TRUST 179 

in the world. Like Thy first followers, my con- 
versation would be in heaven. 

Thou, the Lord of heaven, art coming to hold 
converse with me to-day. Thou comest in the 
very flesh that lay in the manger and on the 
cross, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, Thy 
Sacred Humanity entire. But without its acci- 
dents or appearances. I have to content myself 
with the substance. I have to stay my soul on 
the realities revealed to faith, till the day break 
and the shadows retire. 

So, too, with myself. I come to Thee with the 
necessary dispositions, my soul in friendship with 
Thee. Yet without the accessories of sensible 
fervour which I desire, it may be, more for my 
own sake than for Thine. But what of this? 
Feelings are but accidents. I must have patience 
till the veils drop and I see the King in His 
beauty. Then shall I be glad with exceeding joy. 
Then shall my soul magnify the Lord indeed, and 
my spirit rejoice in God my Saviour. Then all 
that is within me shall praise His holy Name. 

I shall be satisfied when Thy glory shall appear. 
But there is no harm in pleading for a little 
lifting of the veil from time to tim^ for a few 
crumbs from Thy table, 0 tender and compassionate 
Lord. I could not disappoint the dumb creatures 
that come to me trustfully for food or a caress — 
the dog that looks up into my face, the bird that 


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alights on my hand. Thou hast told me that I 
am of much more value than these. Wilt Thou, 
then, disappoint me when I come to Thee for the 
food my soul needs, for the grace I must have if 
I am to reach heaven ? Wilt Thou not now and 
then give me the caress for which I look, Thou 
who hast said : “ Upon the knees you shall be 
caressed. As one whom the mother caresseth, so 
will I comfort you ” (Isa. lxvi.) ? Wilt Thou not 
speak at times that secret word in my soul which 
thrills it through and through ? “ My soul 

melted when my Beloved spake,” says the bride 
in the Canticles. Speak to me, my Beloved, and 
melt the hardness of my heart. 

“Hear my prayer, 0 Lord, and my supplica- 
tion : give ear to my tears 99 (Ps. xxxviii.). 

“Who giveth food to the young ravens that 
call upon Thee 99 (Ps. cxlvi.). 

“ Thou, Lord, art rich enough to give me much 
more than this 99 (2 Par. xxv.). 

“ Can the rush be green without moisture ? 99 
(Job viii.). 

“ Remember me, 0 my God, unto good. Amen * 
(2 Esdras xiii). 

“And He gave them their request, and sent 
fulness into their souls 99 (Ps. cv.). 


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after Communion* 

u My Lord and my God.” 

“ Lord, I believe ; help Thou my unbelief.” 

“ Lord, increase my faith.” 

“0 Lord, there is none like Thee; let Thy 
name be magnified for ever” (i Par. xvii.). 

“ The Lord is my Helper and my Protector : in 
Him hath my soul confided, and I have been 
helped ” (Ps. xxvii.). 

“ Sing to the Lord, 0 ye His Saints” (Ps. xxix.). 

“ O love the Lord, all ye His Saints ” (Ps. xxx.). 

“For He hath satisfied the empty soul, and 
hath filled the hungry soul with good things” 
(Ps. cvi.). 

“ Blessed be the Lord, for He hath shown His 
wonderful mercy to me ” (Ps. xxx.). 

“ Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift ” 
(2 Cor. ix.). 

“ One is good , God ” (Matt. xix.). 

How near I am now, nay, how closely united I 
am now, to the Source of all good. I cross my 
hands upon my breast and know that, folded 
there, is all good. For “ One is good, God.” 

And He is here to share with me, like a true 
lover, all that He has and is. Within my breast 
is: — 

All His Omnipotence to protect me — “Thou 


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shalt know that the Lord thy God is a strong and 
faithful God ” (Deut. vii.). 

All His Wisdom to guide me — “Abide thou 
with Me, tear not” (i Kings xxii.). 

All His loving-kindness to help me — “I will 
not leave thee nor forsake thee” (Jos. i.). 

All His charity to warm me — “ Our God is a 
consuming fire ” (Heb. xii.). 

All His zeal to enkindle mine, for “The 
charity of Christ presseth us 99 (2 Cor. v.). 

All His treasures to enrich me, for “ He that 
spared not even His own Son . . . how hath 
He not also with Him given us all things ! n 
(Rom. viii.). 

All His merits to plead for me — “ Ever living 
to make intercession for us ” (Heb. vii.). 

Out of Thee, my God, there is no good. And 
within Thee there is no good that is not Thyself. 
All that Thou hast Thou art. Therefore in asking 
Thee for all I need for my soul’s health, I ask 
for Thyself. Thou art Thyself the light, the 
strength, the love, the patience, the holiness, 
that are wanting to me. How near to me is 
all this in the supremely precious moments 
after Communion ! Not at my door, not within 
my reach, but absolutely within my breast. Open, 
then, Thy hand to me, 0 Lord, and fill Thy needy 
creature with benediction by filling it with Thyself. 

O Infinite Beauty that art my God, I praise Thee. 


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THE WELCOME OP TRUST 183 

O Infinite Charity that art my God, I love 
Thee. 

O Infinite Patience that art my God, I thank 
Thee. 

O Infinite Goodness that art my God, I worship 
Thee, and bless Thee, and cling to Thee now and 
for ever. 

Dear Master, I am like Magdalen at Thy feet. 
Would that I could be like her in her warm 
welcome, in her loving content, in her attentive 
listening as Thou didst speak to her heart, in the 
concentration of all the powers of her soul upon 
Thee as long as Thou remainedst her**Guest, in 
her sympathy with Thy sorrows, in the consola- 
tion she brought to Thy Heart. Can I with my 
wandering thoughts and my coldness be to Thee 
in any measure like Magdalen? Yes, for Thou 
hast told us Thou wilt accept desires as acts. 
When at the Last Supper Thou didst pray for 
Thy Apostles, and not for them only, but for 
those who through their word should believe in 
Thee, Thou knewest that these later disciples 
would have difficulties unknown to those whom 
the charm of Thy divine Person drew to Thee 
during Thy life on earth. We have not met 
Thy glance nor heard the tones of Thy voice, nor 
listened to the words of Him who spake as never 
man spake. We have the record of the impression 


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made on the crowds and on those who loved Thee^ 
but we have yet to come under that spell our- 
selves. Meanwhile, Thou hast compassion on us, 
knowing that faith which does so much cannot do 
alL Often, too, faith itself is withdrawn into the 
innermost recesses of the soul. It is like the sap 
of the plant in winter, no fruit, nor flower, nor 
bud betrays its presence. But it is there. Thine 
eye can see it, and Thou hast patience. 

What advice hast Thou for us till the sun 
comes forth in his strength and vivifies the 
plant and draws out its hidden energies, till 
winter is over and gone, and the flowers appear 
in our land ? Thou wouldst have us betake our- 
selves to our brethren who are better off than we 
are; whose vehement desires go forth to meet 
Thee ; whose hearts glow in Thy presence ; whose 
whole being even to the restless senses is subdued 
and captivated by Thy sacramental touch ; whose 
entertainment of their Divine Guest, while it 
remains infinitely unworthy of Him, is so true 
a welcome that He makes it His delight to be 
with them. By the Communion of Saints they 
are our brethren ; their riches are the property 
of all, and the poorest members of the family can 
help themselves at will. Thou dost not ask if 
the gifts we offer Thee are our own or borrowed. 
But Thou dost accept them graciously, make 
much of them, account them of great worth. I 


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THE WELCOME OE TRUST 185 

offer to Thee, then, dear Lord, the unspotted 
purity of Thy virgins and of all innocent souls : 
the fortitude of Thy martyrs who are upholding 
Thy cause in the midst of tortures and death; 
the patience of Thy confessors and of all who 
are serving Thee amid persecution and pain, or 
in the monotonous round of daily duties and 
trials. I offer Thee that immaculate heart in 
which Thou findest every virtue in its perfection. 
I offer Thee Thy own Sacred Human Heart, 
whose worship and praise is worthy of the divine 
acceptance. Thanks be to Thee for this rich 
treasury to which I may come for the supply 
of all my need. Thanks, above all, for the 
Divine Heart which alone suffices for me 
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift! 

Petition , p. 108. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12* 


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III 


“ Cast thy care upon the Lord , and He shall 
sustain thee ” — Pa liv. 


Before Communion* 

“ For he stands at too great a hazard that does 
not cast his whole care on Thee (Imit. iii. 17). 
How different from ours is this way of putting 
things I We should have said the hazard was 
in casting our whole care on God. Of course 
we trust Him perfectly, but there is such a thing 
as prudence, and one cannot help being uneasy 
when trouble threatens, or difficulties arise, or 
things go wrong. A certain amount of care, 
quite enough to justify solicitude, disquietude 
even, is unavoidable. Thus do we petulantly 
turn our back upon the invitation and the 
promise of God, as if it meant nothing and was 
never intended to have any practical bearing 
on our conduct. 

18* 


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THE WELCOME OF TRUST 187 


Yet how strong are our Lord’s words : 44 There- 
fore I say to you, be not solicitous for your life, 
what you shall eat, nor for your body what you 
shall put on. . . . Behold the birds of the air, 
for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather 
into bams : and your Heavenly Father feedeth 
them. Are not you of much more value than 
they ? And for raiment why are you solicitous ? 
Consider the lilies of the field how they grow: 
they labour not, neither do they spin. . . . And 
if the grass of the field God doth so clothe, how 
much more you, O ye of little faith? Be not 
solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat, 
or wherewith shall we be clothed? For your 
Father knoweth that you have need of all these 
things. Be not therefore solicitous for to-morrow. 
Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His justice, 
and all these things shall be added unto you” 
(Matt. vi.). 

How He insists! Not even about the most 
fundamental needs, for the bare necessaries of 
life are we to be solicitous. He prefaces His 
injunction by the solemn words : 44 I say to you.” 
I who cannot deceive, nor bid you trust too much, 
I bid you be not solicitous. Why? Because 
44 your Father knoweth your need.” 

There are those who take Him at His word. 
They omit nothing that depends on them. They 
do what is not required of the lilies and the 


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birds ; they toil and they spin. Like the “ wise 
steward whom his lord set over his family to 
give them wheat in due season ” ; like the valiant 
woman “who looked well to the ways of her 
house”; they do all that in them lies. And 
then, obedient to the Divine injunction, and 
relying on the Divine promise, they cast all 
their care upon God. “ The Lord ruleth me 
and I shall want nothing” (Ps. xxii.). “My 
God is my Helper ; in Him will I put my trust ” 
(Ps. xvii.). Who shall tell the peace of such 
souls, the wonderful interventions in their favour, 
the vigilance with which He whom their trust 
glorifies provides for their every need ! 

A rower propels his boat by a twofold impulse, 
a movement forward and back. So do we advance 
towards God. We tend to Him by desire and 
affection, and fall back upon Him by self-abandon*- 
ment and trust. And it is in the latter act that 
our progress chiefly lies. 

My God, give me such trust in Thee that I 
may be able to take literally Thy words : “Be 
not solicitous.” Let not the cares of this life so 
weigh upon me as to trouble my peace. Give me 
the filial trust that Thy blessed Apostle Paul laid 
as a duty on Thy first disciples : “ Be nothing 
solicitous, but in everything by prayer and suppli- 
cation let your petitions be made known to God. 


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THE WELCOME OF TRUST 189 

And the peace of God which surpasseth all under- 
standing keep your hearts and minds in Christ 
Jesus” (Philip, iv.). 

Give me the peaceful heart of Thy dear Foster- 
Father amid the ups and downs of life, the 
obscurity shrouding Divine designs, the peril 
threatening the treasures confided to him. To 
him the Will of God was all in all. It was 
impulse; it was rest. It was the reason and 
the justification of all things. It was compensa- 
tion in suffering, and goal beyond which he had 
no desire. Nothing came amiss to him; every 
trial, however sudden, or grievous, or prolonged, 
found him ready, as if it had been a plan of his 
own devising, long foreseen and thought out in 
every detail, as if it fell in exactly with his 
wishes. And so indeed it did, inasmuch as it 
was the ordering or the permission of God's 
Providence, a fresh revelation of the Divine 
plan. O Prince of Peace, who hast brought to 
earth a peace that no trial can disturb, come to 
my troubled heart, say to it : “ Peace, be still ! ” 

“ In Thee, Lord, I put my trust” (Ps. x.). 

“ It is good for me to adhere to my God, to 
put my trust in the Lord God ” (Ps. lxxii.). 

“ The Lord ruleth me, and I shall want nothing ” 
(Ps. xxii.). 

“ For though I should walk in the midst of the 


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shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for Thou 
art with me ” (Ps. xxii.). 

44 I have cried to the Lord, and the Lord will 
save me ” (Ps. liv.). 

44 In Thee, 0 Lord, have I hoped, let me never 
be confounded ” (Ps. xxx.). 

after Ccmmunton. 

44 Bless the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord * 
(Ps. cxxxiii.). 

44 Exalt ye the Lord our God ” (Ps. xcviii.). 

44 Bless the Lord, all ye His Angels ” (Pa cii.). 

44 Give glory to the Lord, for He is good" 
(Ps. cvi.). 

“Adore the Lord our God, and give thanks to 
Him ” (Tobias xi.). 

44 Adore the Lord my God ” (Dan. xiv.). 

44 Bless the Lord, for He hath shown His 
wonderful mercy to me ” (Ps. xxx.). 

44 For He hath satisfied the empty soul, and 
hath filled the hungry soul with good things ” 
(Pa cvi.). 

44 My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my 
spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour ” (Luke i.). 

44 Because He that is mighty hath done great 
things to me, and holy is His Name ” (Id.), 

My God, who hast given Thyself to me with all 
that Thou hast and art, with reason dost Thou 


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THE WELCOME OF TRUST 191 

expect me to trust Thee. Thou art my Father, 
and I am never to question Thy love and care. 
All my life is planned by Thee, Infinite Wisdom 
and Infinite Love guiding the arrangement of its 
every detail. The ordering of Thy Providence 
has my welfare in view as completely as if I 
alone were to be considered. I am not sacrificed 
to others as is so often the case in the affairs of 
this life when the designer is one of ourselves. 
The paths of Thy children cross and recross at an 
infinite number of points ; circumstances appear 
to be the most absolute result of chance. But 
every contact, every event even the most trivial, 
even the result of the free-will and the ill-will of 
man, is ordered or permitted by Thee. Reaching 
from end to end mightily is Thy loving foresight, 
ordering all things sweetly for the child of Thj 
Heart — all things, all things without exception, 
those even that seem most opposed to my good. 
Let not such things take me by surprise or dis- 
concert me. Say to me as to Peter : “ Go with 
them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them * 
(Acts x.). Let me put my hand trustfully into 
Thine and keep it there all through the changing 
years, believing by faith what I shall see some 
day: “He hath done all things well.” With 
what admiration and delight shall I behold 
in eternity the Divine skill which has shaped to 
Thy designs all the varied elements of life — — 


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talents, deficiencies, pleasure, pain, temptation, 
failure, falls — all things working together to my 
final good. “He hath done all things well,” I 
shall cry out in exulting praise, “ He hath done 
all things well.” 

Could there be any cloud in that happy retro- 
spect, any note of sadness in that praise, it would 
be where my trust failed during life, where the 
things that seem obscured the bright realities 
that faith should have kept visible through every 
trial. 

O my Father, my Heavenly Father, give me 
this birthright of Thy children, this abounding 
hope, this grace of trust. Care for me as for 
a child that lies without thought for itself in 
its father's arms. Care for me till I come to 
see Thee, 0 God of my life, to know Thee as 
Thou art, to love Thee with every affection of my 
heart, to spend my eternity before Thy face in 
jubilant praise. 

“ O Lord, Father, and God of my life ” (Ecclus. 
xxiii.), everywhere and in all things Thou art 
“God blessed for ever” (Rom. ix.). Yet Thou 
hast a special nearness to me and dearness as 
the God of my life, whose character is disclosed 
to me, not by any revelation from without, but 
by the intimate experience of daily life — daily 
trials, daily joys and sorrow, and unexpected 
intervention, and sweet surprise, and tender con- 


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THE WELCOME OF TRUST 193 


eolation. O Lord, Fathei, and God of my life, 
let me give Thee that worship which is so accept- 
able to Thee, the worship to which the experience 
of long years entitles Thee — the trust of a child. 

Oblation and Petition , p. 10. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. X3, 


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I 


“ He came unto His oxon , and His oxen received 
Him not ” — J ohn i. 

38rtare Comtmmton. 

Thus the disciple whom Jesus loved begins his 
Gospel. He faho knew the Sacred Heart better 
thaij the others, who had leaned on his Master’s 
breast and learned His secrets — it is he who tells 
us of the chief suffering of that loving Heart in 
the days when pain could reach it. 

Who came? He who had been so long promised. 
He who was so sorely needed. He who was God, 
able to supply every need. He who was most 
eager to free us from our enemies, to save us, to 
make us happy — He came. 

To whom ? “ To His own.” To the people He 

had singled out from all others to be His in a 
special way. On whom He had heaped His 

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favours. Whom He had guided, protected, fed, 
taught, worked wonders for, loved, warned, 
promised Himself to. To the chosen people who 
had sighed for Him, and boasted of Him as one 
of their race. To these, His own, He cama 

How did He come ? Not with the pomp and 
unapproachableness of a king of this world, not 
imposing heavy burdens. But lowly and meek. 
As the Good Shepherd, carrying the lambs in His 
bosom, feeding His flock in rich pastures, seeking 
that which was lost, binding up that which was 
broken, strengthening that which was weak ; as 
a Physician, as a Friend, as a Fellow-Traveller, 
as a Brother — thus He came to His own. He 
came to share their nature that they might be 
partakers of His. He came to give them all they 
were able to receive— peace in this life, happiness 
even in the midst of sorrow, Himself beneath.the 
veils. And in the next life a happiness perfect 
and eternal, flowing from the face to face vision 
that fulfils every desire. Thus He came to His 
own. 

With what result? “His own received Him 
not.” 

Why? Because they wanted impossibilities. 
They would be healed without submission to the 
Physician. They would enjoy the favours of God 
as His children without leaving the sins that 
made them His enemies. They looked for a 


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Messiah who, by heaping upon them the riches, 
pleasures, and honours of this world, would chain 
their hearts to the things of time and make them 
lose those of eternity. He loved them too much 
to give them what they sought. And thus, when 
He came unto His own. His own received Him 
not 

What He sought was a welcome. What we 
gave Him was a cross. What we give Him still 
in return for the unspeakable Gift of His abiding 
Presence with us, is indifference and neglect. 
He wanders up and down the world, outcast from 
many a heart 

“ Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” 

Lord, read always over my door “ Welcome ! ” 
Weary and footsore, come in and rest with me. 
My house is poor and unfurnished, but at Thy 
service always. I will give Thee water for Thy 
feet, the tears of true contrition ; spikenard for 
Thy head, the fragrance at least of humility and 
good desires. Above all, I will give Thee the 
kiss of welcome. Come to me and use all that 
belongs to me as it shall please Thee. I make 
Thee welcome to anything of mine that it may 
please Thee to take, to any loss, or sacrifice, or 
failure ; for any humiliation, or pain of body or 
mind, from now to the hour of my death. 


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"So long a time have I been with you , and have you 
not known Me ? ” (John xiv.). 

This, as the worlds history rolls on, is His 
reproach to its children of each generation. Hot 
to the untaught millions of heathendom whom 
the glad tidings of the Incarnation and of the 
Heal Presence have never reached, who live and 
die without having heard of their Saviour, or 
having once found their way to His feet. Nor 
to the thousands around His tabernacles whose 
eyes the prejudices of birth and education have 
held. But to those whom He has called out of 
darkness, who see what kings and prophets 
desired to see, for whom are His teaching and 
His Sacraments, His continual inspirations and 
invitations, His morning Sacrifice, His evening 
Benediction, whose doors lie within a stone’s 
throw of His own. It is to these He says year 
after year : “So long have I been with you, and 
have you not known Me?” It is to me, His 
friend and His familiar, that His reproach is 
made. 

"So long have I been with you” How long is 
it since He has been within my reach for daily 
Mass, for frequent Communion? 

" And you have not known Me,” This can be 
the only explanation of my neglect of Him. If 
I knew Him better, knew the tenderness of His 


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love for me, His eagerness to be with me, His 
devotedness, I could not keep away from Him as 
I do. If I knew His interest in all that concerns 
me, I should find my way to Him oftener with my 
troubles and my cares. 

Welcome, Divine Guest, welcome to-day! 
Awaken within my heart some better response 
to Thine. It is not meet that all the ardour 
should be on the side of Him who comes, that 
>the host should be so little in accord with the 
Guest. Come, and bring my heart into harmony 
with Thine. 

When we desire very eagerly the visit of a 
friend, we are not content with one invitation. 
We send telegram after telegram. We show we 
can take no refusal. We even seem inconsiderate, 
and risk wearying by importunity. We leave 
our friend no choice. He has to satisfy us at 
last. u He would not for a long time. But 
afterwards he said within himself : Because she 
is troublesome to me I will . . . lest continually 
coming she weary me” (Luke xviii.). Lord, I 
desire Thy Blessed Presence with me to-day. I 
am not worthy of it, but I beg, I importune, I 
multiply invitations : — 

“Come into my garden” (Cant. v.). 

“ Come, my Beloved ” (Cant. vii.). 

“ Come, let us see one another ” (2 Par. xxv.). 


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welcome t 


‘‘Come home with me, and I will make Thee 
presents ” (3 Kings xiiL). 

“Come, Lord Jesus ” (Apoc. xxii.). 

after ©(mtnwnfon. 

“My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my 
spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” 

“ For He that is mighty hath done great things 
for me, and holy is His Name.” 

“ 0 ye Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord : 
praise and exalt Him above all for ever ” 
(Dan. iii.). 

“ Come, let us praise the Lord with joy, let us 
joyfully sing to God our Saviour” (Ps. xciv.). 

“Give glory to the Lord for He is good, for 
His mercy endureth for ever. Who shall declare 
the power of the Lord ! Who shall set forth all 
His praises ! ” (Ps. cv.). 

“Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to 
Him, and His wonderful wcrks to the children of 
men ” (Ps. cvi.). 

“ Let all Thy works, 0 Lord, praise Thee, and 
let Thy Saints bless Thee” (Ps. cxliv.). 

“ I will praise Thee, 0 Lord, with my whole 
heart” (Ps. cxxxvii.). 

“ I will extol Thee, 0 God my King, and I will 
bless Thy Name for ever, yea for ever and ever * 
(Ps. cxliv.). 


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Whence is this to me that my Lord should 
come to me ? 

We should not dare to invite a king into a 
miserable hovel. And were he to invite himself, 
we should be on thorns the whole time of his stay. 
Is it want of faith, dear Lord, that makes the 
case so different when there is question of a visit 
from Thee ? Now and then when the dignity of 
my Guest is borne home to me more than usual, 
there is a thrill of wondering awe or of glad 
surprise. But my normal feeling is little more 
than the appreciation of the kindness of a friend 
who looks in upon me from next door. I take it 
as a matter of course. I bid Him welcome 
certainly, but even this bit of courtesy He is 
expected to take for granted. If He comes on 
business we draw our chairs together and set to 
work to discuss it without loss of time. Is it 
want of faith, 0 best of friends, that makes me 
treat Thee with so little ceremony? No doubt 
the fault is mine in part. But — may I say it with 
all reverence — is it not also Thine, the natural 
consequence of Thy accessibility, of the trust with 
which Thou dost make Thyself over to us ? So 
far from showing any repugnance to visit me in 
my poverty, Thy courtesy is too delicate to let it 
appear a condescension. “ Behold, I stand at the 
gate and knock. If any man shall hear My 


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voice and open to Me the door, I will come in to 
him and will sup with him, and he with Me. My 
delights are to be with the children of men. 
Open to Me, My sister, My beloved.” What 
wonder that the unfeigned desire testified by 
these words should make me lose sight of the 
infinite distance between us. Whose fault is it, 
then, dear Lord ? If blame is due, must we not 
share it? 

But from another point of view the failing is 
wholly mine. If Thy gracious ways dull the sense 
of obligation, they should surely inflame love. 
And this is Thy design in making Thyself so easy 
of approach. The human longing to be with Thy 
friend makes Thee ready at all hours to come to 
me. But where is my response? Where is the 
desire of my heart to be with Thee? Thy love 
cannot be satisfied without my co-operation. 
From Heaven to the altar-rails is Thy part of the 
journey. From my bed to the church is mine. 
How often do I find the way too long, the sacrifice 
too great! How often do I fail at the rendez- 
vous, and by an indifference, amounting almost 
to insult, deprive Thee of the meeting on which 
Thy Heart is set ! Is there, then, nothing in me 
that responds to Thy advances? This at least 
there is — shame a*nd sorrow for my callousness, 
and a desire to make up to Thee for the past. 

I have within my breast the Heart that loved 


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THE WELCOME OF A HOST 205 

me uninterruptedly throughout the three-and- 
thirty years. As the Babe lay on the manger 
straw; as the Boy lay awake at night in the 
cottage at Nazareth ; as the Man worked hard all 
day in the village shop ; as He preached and 
cured ; as He walked up and down the land, His 
Heart was beating always with love of me* 
Slower and slower, as the three hours dragged on, 
it beat upon the cross, faltering, failing — until it 
stopped. For part of three days it ceased to beat 
for me. With the breaking of the dawn on 
Easter Day, when it woke to an immortal life, it 
began to beat anew for me. And for nineteen 
hundred years since then it has never ceased to 
beat for me, till this morning brings it with its 
faithful love into my breast. 

For what does my heart beat? What is its 
main concern in life, its absorbing interest? 
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole 
heart. Thus has the Lord my God loved me. 
Is it too much to give Him my whole heart in 
exchange for His ? 

0 Lord, help me, make haste to help me. Had 
I the power over my heart that Thou hast, I 
would pour into it an affection answering in some 
measure to Thine own. I would break down 
every obstacle* to the free flowing of mutual love. 
I would not suffer devotedness and generosity to 
be on one side alone. When wilt Thou do for 


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WELCOME! 


me, O Lord, what I cannot do for myself ; when 
wilt Thou add to Thy gifts the grace to love Thee 
as I desire? 

“ Judea disowned Thee for her King, that I 
might have Thee all my own,” said the loving St, 
Gertrude. “ My King and my God ” (Ps. v.), I 
choose and proclaim Thee now within my heart. 
As if Thou wert not King by right ; as if I were 
free to elect Thee or not ; as if I had not chosen 
Thee again and again, I choose Thee now. Reign 
over all that I am and have— over my memory 
and my imagination, over my understanding and 
my will, over all my senses. Reign over my 
thoughts, and desires, and actions. Control and 
direct every movement of soul and body, every 
word of my lips, every labour of my hands, every 
step of my feet, that all may tend to Thy glory 
and be conformed to Thy will. 

Reign over all that is dear to me and depen- 
dent on me, over my family and every member 
thereof. I consecrate each one to Thee, and as 
far as in me lies subject all to Thy sway. Look 
upon it, O Lord, as a special and cherished 
province of Thy Kingdom. Make it loyal to 
Thee, obedient to Thy laws, eager to carry out 
Thy good pleasure and to promote Thy glory. 

Oblation and Petition , pp. 169, 1 71- 
Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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THE WELCOME OF A HOST 

II 

4i Come ” 


before Cemmtmfotu 

A brilliant sunrise attracts our ©yes to the East 
and makes us think of the effulgence that will be 
there one day. What will be the splendour of 
those heavens which are to gather together and 
immeasurably to surpass in one last blaze of glory 
all the magnificence of sunrise and sunset that 
earth has seen : which are to be lit up by the 
forms of myriads upon myriads of glorified beings, 
Angels and men ; by the presence of the Son of 
Man coming in great power and majesty ! 

How often at sunrise and sunset now do we 
picture to ourselves that scene. It is the sum- 
ming up of the world's history, the revelation and 
justification of every dealing of God with man- 
kind and with each single soul, the manifestation 

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before the whole human race of every thought* 
word, and deed, since Adam first drew breath in 
Paradise. 

And yet that scene [will be a very simple ona 
All its magnificence, all that array of heaven and 
earth will find its purport in two words : “ Depart ” 
and “ Come.” To hear those words will heaven 
be emptied and all mankind assembled in the 
valley of Jehoshaphat. We tremble as we reflect 
that the words are only two. There is no via 
media between the path of glory upward and the 
road down to the abyss. “ He that is not with 
Me is against Me,” will be plain upon that day. 
We think of ourselves, and we tremble. Oh for 
some assurance that all will be well with us then, 
that the word spoken in the hearing of earth and 
heaven to our individual soul will be the invita- 
tion: “ Come!” Is such guarantee vouchsafed 
to us, and if so, where is it to be found ? 

“ Behold I set forth in your sight a blessing 
and a curse” (Deut. xi.). “I have set before 
thee life and good, and on the other hand death 
and evil” (Deut. xxx.). “As thou shalt choose, 
and whither it shall please thee to go, thither go ” 
(Jer. xl.). 

“ I have chosen the way of truth ” (Ps. cxviii.). 

u Destruction is thy own, 0 Israel ” (Osee xiii.). 

“We have in ourselves the answer of death” 
(a Cor. i.). And of life also. 


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THE WELCOME OF A HOST 209 

Those words: “Depart” and “Come,” which 
will be the sentence of death or of life to every 
one of us, are the result of our deliberate choice 
during our time of probation. There are those 
whose abiding disposition is a desire to rid them- 
selves of the presence and of the recollection of 
God. “ Who have said to God : Depart from us, 
we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways ” 
(Job xxi.). “And behold, the whole city went 
out to meet Jesus, and when they saw Him they 
besought Him that He would depart from their 
coasts ” (Matt. viii.). 

And there are those whose lives are spent in 
the quest of Him, “ seeking God and desirous to 
find Him ” (Wisd. xiii.). “ Have you seen Him 
whom my soul loveth 1 ” (Cant. iii.). “ My soul 
hath desired Thee in the night, and in the 
morning early I will watch to Thee ” (Isa. xxvi.). 
“Show me Thy face, and let Thy voice sound 
in my ears” (Cant ii.). “Come, my Beloved” 
(Cant, vii), “Come, Lord Jesus” (Apoc. xxii.). 

Let me, O Lord, be one of these longing ones. 
Let my soul pant for Thee as the hart for the 
waterbrooks, and dread above all evils separation 
from Thee. Like the sisters of Bethany let me 
count it the greatest of blessings to have Thee 
often under my roof. Like Zaccheus let me 
receive Thee with joy. And may the echo of my 

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WELCOME ! 


many welcomes during life be that word of Thine 
to me from the eastern heavens : “ Come.” 

Come, Let this word of invitation to Thee, 
dearest Lord, be often on my lips and always in 
my heart. 

Come in Thy visitations of mercy and even of 
justice; for it is Thyself always; Thy disguise 
but thinly veils Thee, and Faith is ever ready to 
leap forth to meet Thee, crying : “ It is the 
Lord 1 ” 

Come in the secret promptings of Thy grace, 
in the warnings, the rebukes, the compensations, 
the caresses, and all the myriad forms love is 
wont to take. 

Come in the lessons of detachment that 
sooner or later the heart must learn, in the 
disillusioning, the separations, the loneliness 
that come with years. Take for Thyself each 
vacant place, till at last the whole is Thine and 
Thou art all in all. 

Come in Thy Sacramental Presence to claim 
Thy rights, to give of Thy fulness, to answer 
prayer, to calm my fears, to purify and draw to 
Thyself all the affections of my soul. 

Come, daily Bread, to sustain me in the journey 
of each day, as the manna of old strengthened 
the travellers in the desert for the labour and 
the monotony of the daily march. 

Q<me in seasons Qf darkness and distress, when 


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THE WELCOME OF A HOST 211 


the soul, loosed from her moorings, troubled and 
storm-swept, is driven for awhile before the 
blast. 

Come when she feels for Thee in the darkness, 
and cries for Thee as a babe for its mother’s 
face. 

Come y above all, in the dreariness and the 
dangers of death. When all things fall away, 
stay with me, 0 Lord. When none other can 
help or comfort, fold me in the everlasting arms, 
hide me in Thy Heart. May my last word be 
that of John the beloved : “ Come, Lord Jesus.” 
And may Thy answer be : “ Behold, I come 
quickly.” Let my first sight on the eternal 
shore be " Jesus Christ, mild and festive in 
aspect,” coming to meet me ; and the first sound, 
Thy word, the echo of my own during life: 
“ Come, blessed of My Father — Come ! ” 

after Cfltntmmfon. 

“ Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift ” 
(2 Cor. ix.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever ” (Ps. xlvii.). 

u Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee ” (Ps. cii.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever.” 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants, 


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WELCOME 1 


and you that fear Him, little and great 99 (Apoa 
arix.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever.” 

“0 magnify the Lord with me, and let us 
extol His Name together ” (Ps. xxxiii.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever 

“ This is your hour 99 (Luke xxii.). 

Christ. To My enemies who drew near to 
lead Me to torments and to death, I said as I 
delivered Myself into their hands : This is your 
hour. To you, My friend, who invite Me to 
your heart, I say also, say lovingly : This is your 
hour. 

All the hours of your life are yours, to work in, 
to traffic with, to use for My glory, for the salva- 
tion and perfection of your own soul and the souls 
of others. All are yours. Yet of the time spent 
with Me, in My close company after Communion, 
I say to you as of no other : This is your hour. ■ 

It passes quickly ; take heed that it passes not 
without fruit, that its graces are not forfeited, 
that its privileges are not neglected, that its 
opportunities are not lost. 

This is your hour — the hour when you may pay 
to Me all your debts of adoration, thanksgiving, 
propitiation, and pay them to the full. 


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THE WELCOME OF A HOST 213 

Your hour when you may obtain from Me 
easily the pardon of all your sins. 

Your hour when you may help yourself at will 
from the treasury of My Heart ; when you may 
supply abundantly all the needs of your soul. 
When its defilement may be cleansed, its dryness 
refreshed, its wounds healed, its resistance con- 
quered, its coldness warmed, its waywardness 
controlled. I am your Guest. I have to com- 
pensate you for My entertainment. Ask what 
you will, this is your hour. 

Your hour to bring to My feet all whom you 
love; all depending on you; all for whom you 
are anxious, with their miseries, and needs, and 
troubles. That they are yours will give them an 
additional claim on My Heart. Fear not to ask 
great things ; to call on Me for extreme forbear- 
ance, for special interventions of mercy. The 
sense of your unworthiness, the consciousness of 
past sin may oppress you, the knowledge that I 
am Judge as well as Guest may tie your tongue. 
Fear not, My host, My kind entertainer — this is 
your hour. Do with Me what you will. Lead 
Me up and down among the rows of your sick. 
Bring to Me the blind, the halt, the leprous, the 
fever-stricken, and I will heal them. It is your 
hour, to obtain for them all that your heart 
desires. Speak to Me for them now and I will 
listen; ask for them now and I will grant. 


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Delight in your Lord whilst He is with you, 
and He will give you the desires of your heart. 
For every one that asketh now receiveth. Ask ; 
seek ; knock — for this is your hour. 

Oblation and Petition, p. io. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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m 


The Eighth day after the Resurrection . 

Before Comtmmfotu 

See St, Thomas sitting apart from the rest in the 
Supper Boom, cut off from them in all but bodily 
presence, sharing neither their joy, their en- 
thusiasm, their brotherly intercourse, nor the 
strength that union by charity gives. Account- 
ing himself strong-minded, he is obstinate, sullen, 
testy, gloomy, weak. He is drifting away from 
the Master for whom he has left all things, who 
has been to him all in all. What makes the 
difference between him and the others? The 
Presence of Christ. They are risen with Christ. 
Their joy, their hope, their very life that was 
buried with Him has revived with the Resurrec- 
tion. To them their Master is not a glorious 
memory of the past, all the more bitter because 
of the expectation that had been raised. He is 

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living, loving, and may be looked for in His 
glorious beauty at any moment. 

He comes! He stands among them in the 
Supper Room, in His old place, the place always 
left for Him now. See how every eye turns 
instinctively to Thomas. For the eyes of his 
Master are turned to him. It is for him He 
has come to-night Mark the instantaneous 
change wrought by that Presence, by that look. 
See Thomas as he hastens forward, his steps 
trembling with eagerness, his face aglow with 
love and with shame. See him as he falls at 
the pierced feet. Note the intensity of feeling 
in the clasped hands, the upturned face, the cry 
of joy : “ My Lord and my God ! ” 

O dearest Lord J esus, I thank Thee with all my 
heart for having come to the rescue of that poor 
suffering Apostle, for having kept for Thyself 
and for Thy service that slow, yet loyal and 
generous soul. I adore Thee with his delight, 
his contrition, his whole-hearted oblation of him- 
self into Thy hands. With him I welcome Thee 
to-day, and confess Thee, hidden beneath the 
sacramental veils, my Lord and my God. 

My Lord — Man as one of us, Saviour, Head of 
our race, King of kings and Lord of lords, to 
whom is due my service, all that is mine, myself ; 


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THE WELCOME OF A HOST 217 


to whom I give myself with the most absolute 
self-surrender, desiring only that Thou wouldst 
claim me, receive me, dispose of me as Thine in 
time and in eternity : 

And my God — very God of very God, consub- 
stantial with the Father: by whom all things 
were made. Who for us men and for our salva- 
tion came down from heaven, and was made man : 

My God — with whom I have relations intimate 
and tender beyond my power to conceive. My 
First Beginning, my Last End, whom I must 
reach and secure as my own possession in 
eternity, or be for ever miserable : 

My Lord and my God — uniting in Thyself 
every claim to my loyalty, my worship, my 
tenderest love. Oh make Thyself more and 
more to my soul ! I believe in Thee here truly 
present, but increase my faith. I hope in Thee, 
yet not as Thy goodness deserves. I love Thee, 
but not as I desire. Let Thy Blessed Presence 
in frequent Communion do gradually for me 
what in an instant it did for Thomas. Let it 
come to influence my every thought, and word, 
and act. Wake up in my soul all that can 
glorify Thee, that with all Thou hast given me 
I may make Thee a return of love, and content 
myself in contenting Thee, my Lord and my 
God! 


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after Cflmmtmfotu 

u My Lord and my God ! ” 

“ Lord, I believe ; help Thou my unbelief.” 

“ Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

“O Lord my God, I will give praise to Thee 
for ever and ever ” (Ps. xxix.). 

“ Whence is this to me that my Lord should 
come to me ? ” 

“Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst 
come under my roof.” 

“ O my soul, bless the Lord, and let all that is 
within me bless His holy Name ” (Ps. cii.). 

“ Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee ” (Id.). 

“ Bless the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, 
who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts 
of the house of our God ” (Ps. cxxxiii.). 

“ O magnify the Lord with me, and let us 
extol His Name together ” (Ps. xxxiii.). 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever ” (Ps. xlvii.). 

“ Oh, how hast Thou magnified Thy mercy, O 
God ” (Ps. xxxv.). 

“Let them say so that have been redeemed by 
the Lord, whom He hath redeemed from the hand 
of the enemy ” (Ps. cvi.). 

“ Thou art worthy, 0 Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power ” (Apoc. iv.). 


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THE WELCOME OF A HOST 219 

tc Amen. Benediction, and glory, and thanks- 
giving, honour, and power, and strength to our 
God for ever and ever. Amen ” (Apoc. vii.). 

My God, I adore thee. Adoration is as yet 
little more to me than a name. When I see 
Thee as Thou art I shall marvel at the condescen- 
sion which makes Thee accept my adoration now. 

And I shall marvel no less at the cold thanks- 
givings of earth. Oh with what vehemence will 
my soul pour herself forth when the restraints of 
this life are no more ! Like a mighty flood long 
pent up, that breaks at length through dam and 
dyke and laps the city on every side, will be my 
thanksgiving in Heaven. So will it leap up for 
ever in Thy Presence, fresh and free, magnifying 
the Lord, striving with all the energy of its being 
to render Him something like a return for all He 
has rendered unto me. 

Wait, my God, wait a little while for that hour. 
All hours are before Thee now. Already Thou 
seest me in my place before Thy throne. Already 
my glad praise goes up before Thee, and seeing 
it, Thou hast compassion on my feeble efforts 
now. Wait, wait a little while, and I will pay 
Thee all. 

Meanwhile let me fall back on the treasures 
of others. Let me share in the adoration and 
thanksgiving with which Thomas welcomed Thee 


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on the octave day of the Resurrection. Thou 
wert his Guest in the Supper Room. It was 
for him that Thou didst come. The happiness 
of that sweet evening the rest owed to him. As 
Thy host he came forward in trembling joy to do 
Thee reverence, to make reparation for that slow- 
ness of belief which was Thy one reproach to the 
Eleven, to acknowledge by his glorious confession 
the union in Thy Sacred Person of the Divine and 
Human Natures. 

With him I cry to Thee here truly present : 
“ My Lord and my God ! ” Happier than he, I 
take from Thy lips the blessing of those who have 
not seen and have believed. 

Teach me, dear Lord, my duties as a hostess. 
Let me learn them from Martha and from 
Thomas. A host lays himself out to entertain 
his guest. He forgets His own likes and dislikes 
to consult the tastes of the friend whose comfort 
and happiness depend on the thoughtful kindness 
and genuine welcome accorded him. 

Lord, Thou art with me now. I know not how 
to entertain so great a Majesty, but at least let 
me not transgress the laws of human courtesy. 
Let me offer Thee the hospitality of eastern lands 
and of olden times, the humble services, the 
kindliness that welcomes the coming and speeds 
the parting guest. I must not leave Thee alone 
during the brief moments of Thy stay. I must 


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THE WELCOME OF A HOST 221 


set aside all other claims and cares and keep 
myself free for attendance on Thee, for converse 
with Thee. And this converse will be about 
things that interest Thee, concerns that I know 
Thou hast at heart. The names of those near 
and dear to Thee will come in. I shall make my 
own the burdens and the sufferings of Thy friends, 
and offer myself for any service that affection for 
them for Thy sake may prompt. I shall sorrow 
with Thee, Lord, in Thy sorrows, enter into Thy 
designs, be concerned when Thy glory is imperilled, 
bring eager reparation for Thy wrongs. What- 
ever touches the Church and souls redeemed with 
Thy Precious Blood, whatever calls for prayer, 
will be matter of earnest converse with Thee 
during the brief moments of Thy stay. 

Thy beloved Disciple tells us, Lord, that Thou 
wouldst not trust Thyself to any man, for Thou 
knewest what was in man. How is it then that 
Thou dost trust Thyself to me? Is it because 
I am to be depended on ; that I value so truly 
the treasure I have in the Eucharist ; that I shall 
turn it to such good account — is it so, O Lord? 
Alas! it is because Thou knowest me so well, 
that Thou shouldst refrain from trusting Thyself 
to me. Thou needest no one to tell Thee what 
Thou must expect if Thou wilt make Thyself my 
Guest. And in spite of all, Thou hast come. 

I cannot offer Thee much, 0 Lord, at Thy 


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coming, but I can bid Thee welcome. I can 
embrace Thee and hold Thee fast. I kiss Thy 
feet, O my Master, I kiss Thy feet. With 
nothing in my hand to offer Thee, with none 
of the generosity and zeal in Thy service that 
others bring, I have yet the humble welcome 
which not all my shortcomings can check. This 
will suffice me. As Thou crossest the threshold 
at the end of Thy visit, I shall be content if Thou 
canst say to Thy Angels : “ She hath not ceased 
to kiss My feet.” 

Oblation and Petition , p. 87. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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I 


“ Ordering dll things sweetly — Wisd. viiL 


36e£ore CEcmnumum. 

How sweetly has the life of the Son of God on 
earth been ordered with a view to our salvation 
and our help! Had we been asked whether a 
commonplace, uneventful life, or one of marvels 
and miracles would best achieve the end for 
which Messiah came, we should have been at a 
loss how to reply. Manifestations of Divine 
power would accredit His mission, but they 
would make His life one for our admiration 
rather than for our imitation. On the other 
hand, a lowly position and an ordinary career 
would want the prestige belonging to the 
Redeemer and universal Teacher of mankind. 
How could both needs be met? How should 
He be at once the Wonder-worker to sustain 

285 p 


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our faith and our hope, and our Companion in 
the unherolc paths of daily life ? 

We could never have guessed. We might 
have imagined the stilling of the tempest, the 
healing of every disease and every infirmity. 
But we could no more have suspected the thirty 
years of toil in the workshop of Nazareth, 
than we could have reconciled the Trans- 
figuration on Thabor with the scene beneath 
the olive trees, or the three hours on Calvary. 
Yet all has been harmonised for the confirmation 
of our faith and hope, and for the sustaining of 
our courage along the toilsome way of homely 
duty by the force of His example who is like to us 
in all things, save only sin. Thabor, Gethsemane^ 
Calvary, are our resource in the crucial hours of 
life, in the strife between the spirit and the flesh, 
which reduces to an agony. But these seasons 
are the exception, and the lessons they call for 
were briefly given. A few moments He showed 
Himself to us as our glorified Head ; a few hours 
as our Model in the extremity of mental and 
physical pain. But for the monotonous round 
of labour which is the rule of our life, He judged 
a corresponding term of teaching to be necessary. 
And so we have the thirty years of hidden life in 
the cottage and the workshop of Nazareth. 

It is only because we have not studied it in 
detail that this period of our Lord’s life appears 


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THE WELCOME OF A TOILER 227 

less wonderful than the years of miracles or the 
death of the Cross. In one sense it is more 
wonderful. That earth, and sea, and disease, and 
death should obey Him, that all nature should be 
convulsed on Calvary, is not surprising. But 
that God could do anything commonplace, that 
He should be a helpless Babe, an errand Boy, 
a tradesman — His back bowed beneath burdens, 
His hands hardened with toil, His work of the 
simplest and commonest, uninteresting, unnoticed, 
bringing Him no reputation — could it have entered 
into the heart of man to conceive this ? 

Nazareth is the school in which all must learn. 
In whatever station of life our lot may be cast, 
there must be labour, and labour sanctified. 
Though heaven has been opened to us by the 
death on the Cross, it has still to be earned as 
a reward. It is set before us as a kingdom 
to be won by violence, as a treasure revealed 
to earnest search. Work of mind or body is the 
price all must pay for eternal rest. We must 
bring to God His gifts improved by industry 
if we are to be welcomed as faithful servants; 
we must work in the vineyard if we are to expect 
the hire when evening comes. 

Many of us look upon labour as a hard necessity. 
Yet it was a law in Eden itself before it became 
a punishment: “The Lord God took man, and 
put him into the paradise of pleasure to dress it 


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and bo keep it.” And when sin brought the 
decree : “ In the sweat of thy brow thou shalt eat 
bread,” labour was to be no mere penalty, even 
then, but a remedy and a safeguard. It is to 
heal what sin has wounded, to ward off the moral 
evils that rush in upon the indolent soul, as the 
sea upon low-lying lands when the dykes are 
swept away. 

We know this, we feel it by the intimate con- 
viction of experience, and nevertheless we are 
not reconciled to our lot. Our courage flags 
under the burden and heat of the day. There 
are times when the monotony of life chafes the 
most enduring of us. Therefore our Head would 
bear it first. Toil should have the unspeakable 
honour of being consecrated by the touch of His 
hands. It should be made easy to us by the 
example of the Man God, poor and in labours 
from His youth. In a little bit of a village 
hidden amid the hills ; among country folk, 
uncouth and of ill-repute ; in a two-roomed houses 
and a workshop up the street, He would spend 
the greater part of His life on earth. 

See it — a wooden shed wedged in between two 
others — the workshop of the Son of God. Let us 
creep in, and kneel down, and watch. He has 
laid aside his upper garment to allow his limbs 
free play. His face, and neck, and arms are 
bronzed by exposure,- for half His work is done 


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out of doors, in the small enclosure yonder where 
you see the logs. The veins stand out in the 
delicate, sensitive hands, the palms are hard with 
toil. He uses now the saw, now the plane, now 
the hammer, as He makes and mends cart-wheels, 
tables, stools, all the furniture of that rude, out- 
of-the-way place. His work is well done, but it 
is rough. His tools are clumsy. Everything in 
the shape of carpentering is in a very backward 
state here at Nazareth. He gets no thanks for 
His work. No store is set by it. No one knows 
it or prizes it as His. There is no keeping of 
relics. When it is done with, it will be thrown 
aside or burnt like anything else. So far from 
gaining any reputation by those long years of 
labour, they rather stood in His way when His 
time for preaching came : “ Is not this the 
carpenter?” Can anything good come from 
Nazareth ? 

He works alone. He could not pay an assistant. 
The division of labour which goes so far to lessen 
its difficulties and its irksomeness, is not for Him. 
Now and again He pauses through sheer exhaus- 
tion, and wipes His heated brow. The sun 
mounts high in the heavens, the sun of that sultry 
land ; but He is a poor man and must work on, 
work against time. Now He lifts His head, a 
villager has come in, and He goes forward to 
receive orders. At noon there is a short respite, 


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230 

and the thought of Mary, and the heart to heart 
converse with her during their simple meal and 
prayer together, brings Him refreshment and 
gladness. But the afternoon sees Him hard at 
work again. What He has made and mended 
has to be carried on His shoulders to the little 
homes about. He waits while it is examined and 
criticised. However low He has priced His labour, 
He is beaten down as a matter of course. He 
holds out His hand for His pay, and thanks His 
employer, and goes back to His shop to sweep up 
the shavings and leave all neat and ready for the 
morrow. 

And this day after day, year after year. Always 
the same round of humble duties — making, mend- 
ing, journeying to and fro ; His tasks set by others, 
and subject to their criticism and caprica No 
beholder to note the perfection of every act, of 
every movement : to see the uplifted eye ; to 
hear the whispered prayer ; to be helped by His 
patience and His perseverance ; to share His 
pain at rebuffs, and unkindness, and blame unde- 
served. 

0 wonderful mystery of that hidden life of 
daily toil, how ill could we have spared it from 
the three-and-thirty years ! Hither we come for 
rest and for strength, for example and consolation, 
all our lives through. Well did Thy wisdom and 
Thy love counsel Thee, Lord, to give to this task 


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of silent teaching the longest part of Thy earthly 
life. A month, a week of such teaching would 
have been an unutterable condescension and help. 
But it would not have had the force given by the 
perseverance of years. It is not the difficulty of 
any work at the outset that we feel. Hand and 
brain will give themselves eagerly to labour when 
the charm of novelty is upon it. Difficulties do 
but add zest to our exertions — at the start. But 
when monotony begins to tire, when we see 
nothing before us, perhaps through long years, 
but the dreary vista of the same humdrum toil, 
then it is we need the workshop of Nazareth, then 
it is we understand the invitation : “ Come to Me 
all you who labour.” 

There was no excitement in the little home at 
Nazareth. No elegant artistic articles drew the 
eyes of men to the Carpenter’s shop. He was 
no distinguished man among His fellows, that 
village tradesman. Yet the world lay in the 
hollow of His hand, and the mightiest works of 
human genius to His infinite wisdom had been 
sport. To teach us patience and obedience, and 
the secret of real greatness in the obscurity of a 
humble home, Jesus of Nazareth toiled amid dust 
and shavings for the better part of twenty years. 
Thither He calls all those whose lot on earth is 
like His own. He calls them in these restless, 
feverish days to look and ponder, to unlearn the 


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* 3 * 

world's judgments and learn of Him. He holds 
out His reward : “ Learn of Me that I am meek 
and humble of heart, and you shall find rest to 
your souls.” 

Call me, 0 Lord, and bid me come to Thee. 
Let me watch Thee in Thy poor home and at Thy 
lowly trade. Keep me by Thy side till the 
lessons of Thy life and the dispositions of Thy 
Heart have passed into mine. Let me see Thy 
form, bowed beneath the burdens carried to and 
fro ; Thy hands laid to the drudgery of the saw, 
the hammer, the broom ; Thy mind given to the 
petty details of the village carpentry. And 
seeing this, can I, 0 Master, go on reckoning by 
the world’s standards? Can I repine at my 
station or my means, and harbour thoughts of 
impatience or regret ? Shall I not rather account 
myself blessed if I am called to share, in any 
degree, Thy lot? 

Let me not be among the restless and the self- 
seeking who want vocations that are no call of 
Thine ; who fret because Thy service means doing 
Thy Will and not their own; who keep their 
gaiety and their attractiveness for strangers, and 
their discourtesy and moroseness for their own 
homes. Lord, let me realise that I belong not 
to myself but to Thee, that I came into this 
world, not as a proprietor into his domain, but as 


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THE WELCOME OP A TOILER 233 

a servant to watch and wait for his master's beck. 
And make me feel that that beck is a call to 
happiness no less than to service, happiness 
inseparable from faithful service, happiness begun 
here, to be perfected in the life to come. 

Why should I seek to carve out a path for 
myself when there is one of Thy choosing at my 
door ? Why not loyally accept Thy Will for me 
in events and circumstances, instead of rebelling 
against them or trying to modify them after an 
ideal of my own? Had the marble of Michael 
Angelo been capable of a wish, it would have 
been simply this — that there might be nothing 
in it to mar the great master's work, that it 
might so yield itself to his hand as to bring out 
his conception fully. Let me enter into Thy 
designs for myself and others, not with the 
passiveness of unresisting matter, but with the 
zeal of a servant devoted to the interests of his 
master, the loving eagerness of a friend to fall in 
with the plans of a friend. Thou art more to me, 
infinitely more, than master or friend. All 
devotedness and eager love are called for when 
there is question of co-operating with Thee. As 
far as I can understand Thy action in all that 
happens, it shall call forth my praise. When 
Thy “ways are past finding out,” I will adore 
them in silence and in trust. 

J esus, who in Thy days of humble toil pleased 


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God, who couldst say : “ I do always the things 
that please Him” (John viii.), come to me to-day 
to make my heart like Thine. Unite me so closely 
to Thyself that I too, in every thought, and word, 
and deed, may be acceptable to God, and do always 
the things that please Him. 


after Communion* 

“ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts ! * 

“Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living 
God.” 

“ My Lord and my God.” 

“Truly Thou art a hidden God” (Isa. ;riv.). 

“ O Lord, how great are Thy works ! Thy 
thoughts are exceeding deep” (Ps. xci.). 

“Give praise to our God, all ye His servants: 
and you that fear Him, little and great * 
(Apoc. xix.). 

“ Thou art worthy, 0 Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power” (Apoc. iv.). 

And therefore with Angels and Archangels, 
with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the 
heavenly army, we sing a hymn to Thy glory, 
saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. 
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna 
in the highest. Blessed is He that cometh 
in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the 
highest.” 


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THE WELCOME OF A TOILER 235 

“ Master, where dwellest Thou ? 99 

“ Come and see.” 

“ Can anything of good come from Nazareth ? 99 

“ Come and see.” 

Yes, dearest Lord, all good has come to us 
thence, for Thou, Jesus of Nazareth, art all our 
good. All divine lessons, all the force of a divine 
example, all help, and strength, and consolation 
for our humdrum work has come to us from that 
little bit of a shop at the bottom of the village 
street. This was Thy recompense. This was the 
joy set before Thee for the sake of which Thou 
didst cheerfully endure the monotony and hard- 
ship of those weary years. We think of Thee as 
lonely in that obscure spot, almost as wasting 
there an example that would have revolutionised 
the world had it been shown under other condi- 
tions of time and place. But Thy wisdom was 
reaching from end to end mightily, and ordering 
all things sweetly. All time was before Thee; 
and thronging round Thee, adoring, thanking, 
drinking in Thy teaching, were all who in every 
age would come hither to learn Not Saints 
alone, but each one of us however lowly was 
present to Thee there. Each one can say : “ He 
loved me and delivered Himself for me ” to that 
life of toil and trouble. He knows what it is to 


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236 

have to work on when brain and arm are weary, 
when nature cries out for break or change in the 
task to which we rise each morning. 

Shall not Thy example, O loving Lord, be my 
strength, and Thy sympathy my all-sufficient 
consolation? I have to show my gratitude to 
Thee. I have to make a personal return for what 
was done as much for me as if it had been for me 
alone. How shall I do this except by proving 
that Thou hast not laboured for me in vain ? 

Teach me, my God, the lesson of Nazareth. 
Give me to see the law of labour in its true light, 
to accept it in any shape in which Thy Providence 
may lay it at my door. And if I find it not there, 
to go forth and seek it as the material of which my 
happiness here and hereafter must be fashioned, 
as my safeguard, my title to reward. Let me 
love it still more because it likens me to Thee. 

And let my work be worthy of the name. Not 
one of the many devices for killing time. Not 
taken up on the whim of the moment and cast 
aside as soon as it proves laborious or irksome. 
But occupation that taxes the energy of limb, and 
brain, and soul ; that entails application and 
fatigue ; that calls for the sacrifice of leisure and 
natural inclination. Let it be done and faithfully 
done, not because I am obliged, not because it is 
remunerative or interesting, but because it is 


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THE WELCOME OF A TOILER 237 

the expression of my love, because it is my service 
of Thee. 

At Nazareth Thou hast taught us the worth of 
little things done for God. But how slow we are 
to learn our lesson. Unless we can make a show 
we suppose we are doing nothing. If anything 
will teach me the value of humble, unobtrusive 
toil, surely it is the workshop there. And it will 
teach me if I look long and quietly, and try to do 
my work at my Master’s side, watching Him, 
noting how He works, observing His eyes, and 
lips, and hands, looking into His Heart. 

And since my work is poor and worthless and 
unworthy of Thy acceptance, unite it, Lord, with 
Thine, and offer it with the merit of Thine in- 
finitely precious labours to the Father for me. 
Daily in the Mass those merits are made over to 
me. I desire to appropriate them, and through 
Thy hands to offer all I have and am to God. 
M Per Ipsum, et cum Ipso, et in Ipso,” by Thee, 
with Thee, in Thee, may all I do, and say, and 
suffer be presented to the Father and be made 
pleasing in Thy sight. 

O Jesus of Nazareth, bring home to all the 
toilers of earth the lessons of Thy holy hidden 
life. Show all men how labour has been ennobled, 
sweetened, and sanctified by Thee ; how all our 
work by union with Thine may become precious 


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in the sight of God, and purchase for ns eternal 
rest and joy when evening comes and the labourers 
receive their hire. 

Oblation and Petition, p. 87. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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"Man is born to labour” — Job v. 

iSefute ffiomtmtntotu 

The law of labour is upon us all. Head or hand, 
or both, must carry out the sentence pronounced 
in Paradise on every child of Adam. But besides 
the bodily toil to which we rise each morning, 
there is another more important and more onerous, 
from which none is exempt. St Paul puts it 
before us with his usual energy of expression 
when writing to his converts at Philippi he 
says: “Work out your salvation with fear and 
trembling ” (Philip, ii.). And again in the com- 
prehensive phrase : “ Put on Christ ” (Galat. iii.). 

To work a thing out implies strenuous effort 
and patient perseverance. A problem is not 
worked out when we leave its solution to chance, 
or trust to its coming right of itself. All work 
that is to be a success must have devoted to it 

939 


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intelligent and persistent labour, and a will pre- 
pared to surmount all difficulties. No building 
is raised, no art acquired, no victory gained on 
other conditions. And the “ one thing necessary 99 
is not to be secured at a less price. We are sent 
into the world for the one purpose of bringing 
ourselves into conformity with our Head, that 
we may be worthy to share His glory. “For 
whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to 
be made conformable to the image of His Son” 
(Rom. viii.). 

To the Ephesians St. Paul speaks of “ learning 
Christ” (Ephes. iv.). It is a difficult task, but 
the toil is divided between Master and pupils. 
A good teacher prepares long and carefully. He 
counts no pains too great, no instruments too 
costly, no details too small to deserve attention. 
His part done, it remains for the learners to do 
theirs. They must bring to their lesson a docile, 
eager, receptive mind, an attentive eye and' ear, 
a resolute will, if there is to be any satisfactory 
result. If interest flags, the best lesson will fall 
flat, and — who shall tell with what disappoint- 
ment to the teacher 1 

Dear Master, how long and how painfully hast 
Thou prepared Thy lessons for me ! Far back in 
the Eternal years were Bethlehem, and Nazareth, 
Cethsemane, and Calvary decreed, and their 


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every circumstance fitted to my need. An 
Angel teacher might have been assigned me, 
and surely this had been an inestimable grace. 
But the Lord of Angels would have no substitute. 
He must come Himself. By His own lips were 
’ the hard truths to be taught. By His own 
practice should they be softened. By His own 
grace should they bear fruit. 

St. Paul calls attention to the marvellous love 
of God in condescending to become Himself our 
Teacher. “The goodness and kindness of God 
our Saviour hath appeared to all men, instructing 
us . . (Titus xxiii). And shall I not be 
grateful ! And shall I not care to learn ! And 
when kings and prophets have desired to see and 
hear what is granted to me, shall I be heedless 
and indifferent ! 

We have to “put on Christ.” It is a con- 
sequence of our baptism, St. Paul tells us (Galat. 
iii.). But what a transformation the words 
suggest ; what a putting aside of things that cling 
to us as part of our very selves, before we can be 
“ clothed upon ” ; before we can put on Christ ! 
Lord, what a change must come about in my soul 
before I am in any respect like Thee I What 
a contrast is there between Thy love and joyous 
acceptance of the Father’s Will, and my mis- 
trust and frequent rejection of that blessed Will 
to follow the perversity of my own! Between 

<» 


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Thy holiness and my sinfulness. Between Thy 
fortitude through a life of suffering, and my 
impatience under the least annoyance. Between 
the sublime self-immolation of thy life, and the 
utter selfishness of mine. Lord, where shall I 
begin: have I as yet begun my life’s work of 
learning Thee ? 

“ Learn of Me that I am meek and humble of 
heart.” 

Thou hast Thyself marked out my course — 
where I am to begin and — where I am to end. 
For if I am like Thee in Thy meekness and 
humility, 1 shall be like Thee wholly; I shall 
have put on Christ. 

Lord, help me! For it is just in these two 
points that I am most unlike Thee. I look at 
Thy self-forgetfulness, Thy gentle, courteous 
ways; Thy compassion for the poor and suffer- 
ing ; Thy tender sympathy for all in need ; Thy 
lowliness of heart and readiness for humble 
service; and in the midst of unparalleled insult 
and injury, Thy serenity and peace of heart. 

' A.nd my heart! Its hardness and its selfish- 
ness ; my unkind thoughts and criticism ; my 
harsh tones; my exacting ways; my stinginess 
in giving time and interest and sympathy; my 
slowness in acts of charity that cost! There is 
self-seeking in all my dealings with others ; even 
in my dealings with^Thee. Jf I neglect prayer ; 


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THE WELCOME OF A TOILER 243 

if I play with temptation ; if I fail in the duties 
of my state — self-indulgence is at the root of all. 

What shall I do, Lord? What remedy can 
put right so much that is wrong ? 

“ Fear not ; behold your God ” (Isa. xl.). 

“ Fear not and be not dismayed : for the Lord 
will be with thee and will not leave thee nor 
forsake thee, till thou hast finished all the work 
for the service” (1 Par. xxviii. ). 

Help me then, dear Lord. This shall be my 
encouragement in the struggle with self, that I 
fight not alone or on my own account, but “ for 
the service/ * The cause is Thine, my King, and 
Thou art ever at hand with all needful grace. 
By the kindness of Thy looks, and words, and 
listening, give me kind looks and words for all. 
Make me like Thee in my dealings with others, 
especially with the companions of my daily life. 
Show me where selfishness hides, and help me to 
overcome a little every day. Teach me to accom- 
modate myself to those of a different character 
from my own ; to make allowances for mistakes 
and misunderstanding, for the pressure of trial or 
of work. Let my first instinct be that of Thy 
Blessed Mother at Cana — not to censure, but to 
pity, to excuse, to help. Let me deserve mercy 
by being always merciful. 


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Victory over self can be won only by frequent 
and earnest effort. And effort will cost. But I 
can do all things in Him who strengthens me, 
who comes to me to-day to pour into my heart the 
treasures of His. 

“ Strengthen me, 0 Lord God ” (Judith xiii.). 

“Give me constancy in my mind . . . and 
fortitude, that I may overthrow my enemies ” 
(Judith ix.). 

“ Strengthen me that I may bring to pass that 
which I have purposed, having a belief that it 
might be done by Thee” (Judith xiii.). 


after 

“ Fear not ; behold your God ” (Isa. xL). 

“ It is I, be not afraid ” (John vi.). 

“ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.” 

“ Let all the earth adore Thee and sing to 
Thee” (Ps. lxv.). 

“Let all Thy Angels and Saints bless Thee, 
and praise Thee, and glorify Thee for ever” 
(Dan. iii.). 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants : 
and you that fear Him, little and great ” (Apoc. 
xix.). 

“ 0 bless our God, and make the voice of His 
praise to be heard ” (Ps, lxv.). 


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THE WELCOME OF A TOILER 245 

“ For who is God but the Lord, or who is God 
but our God?” (Ps. xvii.). 

u Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour; and power : because Thou hast 
created all things, and for Thy will they were, 
and have been created ” (Apoc. iv.). 

u The Lord is with thee” How often are these 
words upon my lips ! How often do I congratulate 
the Blessed among women on this her supreme 
happiness : “ Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum ! ” 
And behold ! at this moment as I kneel bowed 
down, my hands folded upon my breast, con- 
gratulations, could I only hear them, are around 
me on every side. 

44 The Lord is with thee ” my Good Angel is 
saying, as he makes his thanksgiving beside me, 
adoring, praising, loving Him whom he beholds 
beneath the veils. “ 0 child, rejoice and give 
thanks, ‘for this is God, our God unto eternity, 
and for ever and ever* (Ps. xlvii.). Having 
Him thou hast all things. All that is due to 
Him is now in thy power to give. All thy need 
He is here to satisfy. ‘0 magnify the Lord 
with me, and let us extol His name together 9 ” 
(Ps. ^xxiii). 

44 The Lord is with thee” say the Blessed, 
remembering their own Communions, enjoying 
now the fruits of their faith, seeing how their 


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246 

Communions on earth were the principle of all 
the grace that has now blossomed into glory, 
the principle, too, of the glorious resurrection 
awaiting the body when its hour shall come. 
“The Lord is with thee! The Lord is with 
thee!” they say to me. Oh profit by His 
Presence, every instant of which is rich in 
eternal fruit. 

“ The Lord is with thee I ” say the holy waiting 
Souls, in wistful supplication. li He is with thee 
who is so easily appeased on earth, the realm of 
mercy; whose judgments are so rigorous when 
life and time are past. Lift up for us the prayer 
He has come on purpose to hear. Stretch out to 
us the hands He is filling with gifts, that through 
your riches your poor brethren may go free.” 

“ The Lord is with thee” the Holy Trinity 
Itself says to m e. “ More than this Gif t God Him- 
self cannot give thee; less would not meet thy 
wants. Pressing upon thee at all times are thy 
duties as a creature — adoration, thanksgiving, 
praise ; of a sinful and needy creature— prayer 
for mercy, and for all things necessary for soul 
and body. The Lord is with thee now to 
pay all thy debts ; to adore, and praise, and give 
thanks in thy name ; to forgive all thy sins ; 
to supply all thy need. How hath He not with 
Himself given thee all things ? 

“ Thou art weak and unstable. The devil and 


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THE WELCOME OP A TOILER 247 

the world are strong. But I am the most mighty 
God, fear not (Gen. xlvi.). 

“ A treacherous and more dangerous foe assails 
thee from within. Restless passions continually 
disturb thy peace and threaten thee with destruc- 
tion. c Fear not, nor be afraid of them 9 (Deut. i.). 
‘If thou say in thy heart: These enemies are 
more than I, how shall I be able to destroy them ? 
Fear not, because the Lord thy God is in the 
midst of thee. He will consume them by little 
and little and by degrees ; tLou wilt not be able 
to destroy them altogether lest thou shouldst say 
in thy heart: My own might and the strength of 
my own hand have achieved all these things for 
me, and thy heart be lifted up. But the 
Lord thy God shall slay them until they be 
utterly destroyed’ (Deut. vii., viii). ‘He shall 
cast out the enemy from before thee, and shall 
say : Be thou brought to nought ’ (Deut. xxxiii.). 
4 Let not your heart, then, be dismayed ; be not 
afraid; fear them not; because the Lord your 
God is in the midst of you, and will fight for you 
against your enemies, to deliver you from danger 1 
(Deut. xx.). 

“ Thou art sick, sick even unto death ? I am 
come to heal thee. * They that are whole need 
not the Physician, but they that are sick * (Luke 
V.). ‘The Lord will take away from thee all 


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sickness, and the grievous infirmities which thou 
knowest* (Deut. vii.). 

“Thou art 4 wretched and miserable, and poor, 
and blind, and naked. 1 With a wistful eye thou 
beholdest the riches of others — the generosity 
and self-sacrifice, the humility and patience, the 
charity, faith, fortitude of the Saints? Be of 
good courage. 4 Are not these things stored up 
with Me?’ (Deut. xxxii.). Have I not with 
Myself given thee all things ? 

“ Friends fall away with years, and a sense of 
solitude weighs upon thee more and more ? 
4 Behold I am with thee all days 9 (Matt, xxviii.), 
4 the Faithful and True 9 (Apoc. xix.). 4 God is not 
as a man that He should lie, nor as the son of 
man that He should be changed * (Numb, xxiii). 
4 1 am the Lord, and I change not 9 (Malach. iii). 
4 1 have loved thee with an everlasting love* 
(Jer. xxxi.). 4 1 have called thee by thy name, 
thou art Mine 9 (Isa. xlv.). 

44 Life is long, and the way is dreary, and thou 
art bowed down beneath the burden of the day 
and the heats. 4 Do manfully, and let thy heart 
take courage' (Ps. xxvi.). ‘Wait on God with 
patience, join thyself to God, and endure 9 (Ecclus. 
ii.). 4 For behold short years pass away, and 

thou art walking in a path by which thou shalt 
not return 9 99 (Job xvi.). 


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v THE WELCOME OF A TOILER 249 

“ O God, my strong One, in Thee will I trust : 
my rock, and my strength, and my Saviour" 
(2 Kings xxii.). c< For there is no other God but 
Thou, who hast care of all. And because Thou art 
Lord of all, Thou makest Thyself gracious to all " 
(Wisd. xii.). “ Grant me this grace, that with 
all my strength I may love Him that made me ” 
(Ecclus. vii.), and fear Thee and serve Thee with 
my whole heart” (1 Kings xii.). “To the work 
of Thy hands reach out Thy right hand” (Job 
xiv.). “ And let me cleave to Thee, O Lord, my 
God ” (Josue xxii.). 

Lord Jesus, I do indeed desire to be conformed 
to Thee, my Head. I desire to be like Thee here 
that I may be like Thee and with Thee hereafter. 
I know that a member daintily treated, ill becomes 
a Head that has suffered so much. I know, too, 
that though Thy coming to me in Holy Com- 
munion is to make me like Thyself, the change will 
be a gradual one, brought about by my own efforts, 
helped by Thy grace. It will not be sudden ; it 
will not be painless. Only by means of repeated 
acts can I put off myself and put on Christ. I 
must not avoid, but use well the opportunities 
Thy Providence will place in my way. There will 
be many failures. But I will not be discouraged. 
“God is my strong One, in Him will I trust” 
(2 Kings xxii.). The work is His, He will 
accomplish it in His own time. Quietly and 


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gradually He will transform me into His like- 
ness that I may be able to say in my measure : 
“I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me” 
(Galat. ii.). 


Oblation and Petition , , p. 87. 
Ifnjer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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I 

“Lardy help me I* 

before Communion. 

u And He went into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon ; 
and entering into a house He would that no man 
should know it, and He could not be hid. For a 
woman of Canaan, as soon as she heard of Him, 
came in and fell down at His feet, and crying 
out said to Him : Have mercy on me, O Lord, 
Thou Son of David, my daughter is grievously 
troubled by a devil.” 

She was one of those who will dare anything, 
brave everything, to gain the desire of their 
heart. She had heard of the Wonder-worker 
who was going through the length and breadth of 
His own land doing good to all, and healing every 
disease and every infirmity among the people. 


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Oh that He would come her way ! She was not 
one of His ; but once within reach of her prayer 
He should not depart till He had heard and 
answered it. 

One day she was startled by the tidings that 
He had crossed the borders of Judea, and was 
in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Instantly her 
resolution was taken. She would find Him. She 
would throw herself at His feet. Her poor child 
should be cured at last. Nothing stayed her; 
neither fear of rebuff, nor the warning that He 
would have no one know where He was, nor the 
fear of angering Him by the intrusion of a 
Gentile. 

She came in and fell down at His feet : 

“Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, Thou Son of 
David, my daughter is grievously troubled by a 
devil.” 

Who answered her not a word. 

What a reception ! And she had heard He 
was so tender, and so merciful, that He listened 
to all, heard the prayers of all. But she would 
take no refusal. He must, He must take pity on 
her child. She crouched low at His feet. Now 
it is a sob, now a passionate cry : 

“Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O 
Son of David I ” 

She is making herself a nuisance. The Twelve 
gathered round our Lord turn angrily upon her 


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THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT 255 

and bid her stop. Their Master does not mean 
to do anything for the pagan people of this land ; 
she must be quiet and go home. As if she had 
not heard them, she continues her pitiful cry : 

“ Have mercy on me." 

They turn to our Lord and beseech Him 
saying : “ Send her away, for she crieth after us.” 

And He takes their part : “ I was not sent but 
to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel.” 

“ Lord, help me,” is her only reply. No sign 
of discouragement, of having taken amiss what 
seemed so hard ; only that earnest, trusting cry : 
“ Lord, help me ! ” 

Our Lord looks down upon her. He sees the 
agony of her soul. Her prayer is perfect. She 
has done all she can. And still He does not 
relent. Nay, His words grow sterner as the 
fervour of her prayer grows more intense. 

" It is not good to take the bread of the 
children and to cast it to the dogs.” 

How can He speak like this ? Has she come 
so far to be called a dog? See how splendidly 
she bears the rebuff. She is not piqued. Her 
humble trust does not give way. Like Jacob she 
is strong against God. Jacob wrestled with an 
angel ; she measures her strength with the Lord 
of Angels, with God Himself. See the ingenuity 
with which she turns His words to her pw» 
purpose ; 


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256 

€t Yea, Lord, for the whelps also eat under the 
table, of the crumbs of the children. I do not 
ask for the bread, but only for the crumbs that 
fall, the crumbs the children will not miss.” 

Our Lord is conquered. “ 0 woman, great is 
thy faith ; be it done to thee as thou wilt.” And 
her daughter was cured from that hour. 

Was it worth while to have waited, and trusted, 
and wrestled in prayer so long ? Was it reward 
enough to look up to Him and see His smile, and 
hear from His lips that glorious praise ? He who 
felt so keenly the want of faith in His chosen 
people, who again and again had rebuked His 
own disciples for their little faith, had found 
what He sought in this poor sheep outside the 
fold of Israel. And His delighted admiration 
broke forth in words that must have startled the 
Twelve : " 0 woman, great is thy faith ; be it done 
to thee as thou wilt.” 

Only a woman could have shown such tact, 
have dared to make capital out of such a rebufE 
And perhaps we may add — only a woman would 
He have tried so sorely. He who knows what is 
in man feared not to test to the utmost her 
faith and her forbearance. He knows that a 
woman’s heart will brook delay, contempt, re* 
proach, in the pursuit of its end, and never desist 
till its cause is won. • 

We notice that her prayer gains in fervour 


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THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT 257 

and persistence from* the severity and prolonga- 
tion of her trial And as it grows in intensity 
and perfection, she simply asks for help without 
naming her need. We may follow her example 
here, and put our trouble before the pitying 
Heart of Jesus without even asking for help — the 
help we know will come. So the sisters at 
Bethany did when their brother Lazarus lay 
dying : “ Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick.” 
Or we may tell our wants, and wait in patient 
trust for Him to provide. So she did, at whose 
prayer His first miracle was wrought at Cana of 
Galilee. “ They have no wine.” He will sooner 
anticipate His time, break through nature's laws, 
work any sign, than suffer to go unheeded a 
trustful prayer. 

The Mother of Jesus taught us at Cana not to 
be disheartened by a rebuff. “ Woman, what is 
it to Me and to thee ? My hour is not yet come.” 
They were stern words. Did she give up all for 
lost? Did she desist? She looked up into His 
face — the face she knew so well — and there was 
that in it which belied the severity of His speech. 
Turning to the waiters she said : “ Whatsoever 
He shall say to you, do ye.” His time was not 
yet come ; but a trusting prayer has its way with 
Him at all times. She hoped in Him, and was 
not confounded. 

And lest I should say that such privilege was 

a 


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258 

for His Mother only, I have* the example of the 
pagan woman whose sole plea lay in her need, 
her recourse to Him, her humility, her perse- 
verance. To excuse, maybe, the churlishness of 
the disciples, St. Matthew and St. Mark empha- 
size the fact that this poor suppliant had no 
claim upon our Lord. She was “a woman of 
Canaan, who came out of those coasts, a Gentile, 
a Syrophenician born.” If she was a lost sheep, 
our Lord himself reminded her that she was not 
one of the house of Israel to whom He was sent. 
She was no child of the household, but a dog. 
Could words have been more crushing? They 
had not the slightest effect upon her trust. She 
had come to Him in her dire need ; she was not 
going to leave Him unheard. She was deaf to 
stern, hard words, both from the Master and His 
followers. But she was not blind. She had 
looked up into the face of Jesus, and through Hia 
eyes she had read His Heart. What if the tones 
of His voice were against her — there was sym- 
pathy there. She was not of His race, but He 
was of her nature. He was man; He was 
pitying : 

“ Son of David, have mercy on me ! M 

Son of David, have mercy on me! Thou art 
the same now, Lord, as the day that suffering 
mother knelt at Thy feet. My need to-day was 


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present to Thee then. Thou didst try her faith 
so sorely, to strengthen mine. Thou hast set this 
pagan woman as a model for the suppliants of all 
time. I will study her; I will learn of her. 
Like her I will bear rebuff, delay, the agony of 
suspense. Like her I will trust in Thy Heart, 
and trusting, persevere in prayer. Lord, help 
me ; Son of David, have mercy on me 1 

Sftet Cfltntramfmt. 

11 Blessed be the Lord this day ” (3 Kings v.). 

“ 0 my soul, bless the Lord, and let all that is 
within me bless His holy Name ” (Ps. cii.). 

“ Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee ” (Id.). 

“ Bless the Lord, all you His Angels, you that 
are mighty in strength " (Id.). 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants : 
and you that fear Him, little and great ” 
(Apoc. xix.). 

“ O magnify the Lord with me, and let us 
extol His Name together ” (Ps. xxxiii.). 

“ O bless our God, and make the voice of His 
praise to be heard ” (Ps. lxv.). 

“ Blessed be the Lord, for He hath shown His 
wonderful mercy to me (Ps. xxx.). 

41 For He hath satisfied the empty soul, and 
hath filled the empty soul with good things” 
(Ps. cvi). 


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44 It is not meet to take the bread of the 
children and to cast it to the dogs.” 

“Yea, Lord, for the whelps also eat of the 
crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.” 

“ It is not good to admit a sinner and an out- 
cast to the privileges of the children of God.” 

Yea, Lord, for Thou hast come to call not the 
just, but sinners. Thou wert called the Friend of 
sinners. Thou didst run out to meet the prodigal, 
and didst make him welcome to all the good 
things of his father’s house. 

“ It is not meet that the Will of the Creator 
should bend to the will of the creature.” 

Yea, Lord, Thou didst bless “Israel Thy 
beloved” for that he was strong against God. 
And through all time it hath seemed good unto 
Thee that we should wrestle with Thee in prayer 
and prevail. 

Remember, O Lord, that Thou hast bid us ask, 
and seek, and knock. 

Remember that it is to importunity, not to 
merit, that Thy favour is promised : “ For every- 
one that asketh, receiveth ; and he that seeketh, 
findeth ; and to him that knocketh, it shall be 
opened.” 

Remember that if we being evil know how to 
give good gifts to our children, much more will 
our Father who is in heaven give good things to 
them that ask Him. 


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Remember Thou hast said : “ If you ask the 
Father anything in My name He will give it 
you. Hitherto you have not asked anything in 
My name. Ask, and you shall receive, that your 
joy may be full.” 

Behold, I ask, and seek, and knock. I cry to 
Thee day and night. Hear me and have pity on 
me, lest continually coming, I weary Thee. 

Because I continue knocking, rise and give to 
me. If not because I am Thy friend, yet because 
of my importunity give me all I need. 

I cry after Thee with the Syrophenician woman : 
“ Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David.” 
With her I come and adore Thee, saying : “ Lord, 
help me.” 

Say to me as to the blind men of Capharnaum : 
“ Do you believe that I can do this unto you ? ” 
And with full faith I will answer with them: 
“ Yea, Lord.” 

Say to me : “If Thou canst believe, all things 
are possible to him that believeth.” And I will 
cry out with tears : “ I do believe; Lord, help my 
unbelief.” 

Say to me as to the blind man of Jericho : 
" What wilt thou that I do to thee ? ” 

Say to me as to the sorrowing mother of Naim : 
“Weep not.” 

Yet, lest my prayer be one of those to which 
Thou wilt make answer: “You know not what 


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you ask,” one that is not conducive to my real 
welfare, or to the good of those for whom I pray, 
one that will be heard by the grant of something 
better — I add with Thee in the Garden : 

“ Abba, Father, all things are possible to Thee, 
remove this chalice from me. But yet not my 
will, but Thine be done. My Father, if this 
chalice may not pass away but I must drink it* 
Thy Will be done.” 

Oblation and Petition , pp. 169, 171. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12 , 


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"And when she came to the man of God, she 
caught hold of his feet, and Giezi came to remove 
her. And the man of God said : Let her alone, for 
her sovd is in anguish, and the Lord hath hid it 
from me, and hath not told me ” — 4 Kings iv. 


Before Communion. 

Stern and rugged men they seem to us, those 
prophets of the Old Law. Yet, how tender is 
Elias here, in presence of a mother’s sorrow. He 
almost seems to take it ill that God had not told 
him of her trouble. He will not have her dis- 
turbed when she casts herself at his feet. He 
hears through her passionate expostulation : “ Did 
I not ask a son of my Lord? did I not say to 
thee : Do not deceive me ? ” He anticipates her 
prayer and provides at once for her consolation. 


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“ Go,” he says to his servant, “ and lay my staff 
upon the face of the child. ,, He yields to her 
waywardness. But the mother of the child said : 
“As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I 
will not leave thee.” He arose, therefore, and 
followed her, and himself raised her child to life. 

Will “the God of much compassion” (Exod. 
xxxiv.), “the God of all comfort " (2 Cor. i.), be 
less tender than His servant? Can we count too 
much on the pitying Heart of Christ our Lord 
when we come to His feet in desolation and 
distress? With a true instinct the Sunamitess 
discards such consolation as the prophet’s servant 
might have offered her, and betakes herself to 
“the man of God” in whom she recognises the 
power and mercy of God Himself. She came 
to the man of God to Mount Carmel. And when 
the man of God saw her coming, he said to Giezi, 
his servant : “ Go to meet her, and say to her : 
Is all well with thee, and with thy husband, and 
with thy son? And she answered: Well.” A 
figure of the soul that looks not to creatures for 
consolation and help, that stops not to discuss its 
trouble with them, but flies straight to the 
Creator. 

There are wounds which the touch of man only 
chafes and inflames. We must commit them to 
the one tender handling that will soothe their 
pain, “pouring in oil and wine.” “Send them 


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away," said the Apostles of the tired, hungry 
multitude who had flocked after our Lord into 
the desert. “ Send her away,” of the poor mother 
who came crying after Him for her suffering 
child. This is often the best we can expect from 
creatures in our need. I will turn for comfort 
and for help to the Creator, to Him who has said : 

44 Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will 
deliver thee " (Ps. xlix.). 44 Him that cometh to 
Me, I will not cast out " (John vi.). 

44 Arise, why sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arise, 
and cast us not off to the end : why tumest Thou 
Thy face away and forgettest our trouble ? ” 
(Ps. xliii.). 

“0 God, who art mighty above all, hear the 
voice of them that have no other hope, and 
deliver me from my fear ” (Esther xiv.). 

“Deliver us by Thy hand, and help us who • 
have no other helper but Thee, 0 Lord, who hast 
the knowledge of all things" (Id.). 

44 Remember, O Lord, and show Thyself to. me 
in the time of my tribulation " (Id.). 

“Help us, O God, our Saviour, and for the 
glory of Thy Name, 0 Lord, deliver us" (Ps. 
lxxviii.). 

14 Arise, 0 Lord, and help us for Thy Name's 
sake " (Ps. xliii.). 

44 1 have regarded My own holy Name. ... It 


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is not for your sake that I will do this, but for 
My holy Name's sake ” (Ezech. xxxvi.). 

Lord, suy thus to me as to Thy people of old. 
I know too well that wert Thou to consider me 
alone, my prayer must go unheard for ever. But 
it is not for my sake but for Thy own that I 
entreat Thee to hear and answer me. Remember 
Thy promise : “ Whatsoever you shall ask the 
Father in My Name, that will I do: that the 
Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall 
ask Me anything in My Name, that will I do” 
(John xiv.). I would rather it were to glorify 
Thy great Name than to reward any merit of 
mine that Thou shouldst listen to me and help 
me. Not to us, 0 Lord, not to us, but to Thy 
Name give glory. 

after Communion. 

* Whence is this to me that my Lord should 
come to me ? ” 

“ For this is God, our God unto eternity, and 
for ever and ever” (Ps. xlvii.). 

“ Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” 
“ My Lord and my God.” 

“Lord, I believe; help Thou my unbelief.” 
“ Lord, increase my faith.” 

“My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my 
spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” 


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THE nTELOOME OF A SUPPLIANT 267 

“ For He hath satisfied the empty soul, and hath 
filled the hungry soul with good things ” (Ps. cvi.). 

“Give praise to our God, all ye His servants: 
and you that fear Him, little and great” (Apoc. 
xix.). 

“ Sing praises to our God, sing ye ; sing praises 
to our King, sing ye ” (Ps. xlvi.). 

u Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power ” (Apoc. iv.). 

M Amen. Benediction, and glory, and thanks- 
giving, honour, and power, and strength to our 
God for ever and ever. Amen ” (Apoc. vii.). 


“ Is all wdl with thee , and with thy husband , and 
with thy son ? ” (4 Kings iv.). 

Our Lord is like us in all things. In our visits 
we ask after the household of our host. So does 
He. His concern extends to all that touches us, 
all who are dear to us, all whose lives are bound 
up with our own, and whose happiness depends in 
great measure on the character of our daily inter- 
course with them in the close relations of home 
life. 

“ Is all well with them? If not, why not? Tell 
me all about it,” He says. He will not be put 
off with the plea that He knows already, and 
better than we can tell Him. He saw into the 
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Emmaus, yet He would hear their trouble from 
themselves. “ Knowest Thou not the things that 
have been done,” they asked. Who said to them, 
“What things?” He likes the confidence that 
comes to Him for sympathy as well as for help, 
that leads Him hither and thither : “ Lord, come 
and see.” A friend must hear of hopes, and plans, 
and family annoyances. He must be told how a 
conversation went well, or a mistake did harm, 
how there is friction in such a direction, and in 
another every effort to meet a difficulty has 
proved useless. 

A friend must be a good listener. Ho one can 
come near our Lord in this respect. Hour after’ 
hour we may talk to Him, returning again and 
again upon the same old story, and He is never 
tired. 

“Yes,” some of us are sure to object, “there 
is this advantage, but on the other hand He; is 
always silent ; never a word in answer, never a 
sign to show interest or sympathy. How can con- 
versation be kept up under such conditions ? ” 

This is a difficulty certainly, though there are 
plenty of us to speak for the silent Friend, and 
testify to the Voice heard unmistakably in the 
depth of the souL Light, consolation, strength — 
this is His answer to patient, persevering prayer. 
We hear no sound; we miss the sweetness of 
human bones ; but it is help we should seek in 


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THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT 269 

prayer, help that is promised to prayer, not satis- 
faction. 

Suppose those who have & suit before the law 
courts to-day were told that the judge was ready 
to give them the benefit of his advice, and so to 
sum up the case as to insure its success, on con- 
dition that they should lay the affair before him 
— would this proviso be found too hard ? 

If a crowd of beggars were allowed access to a 
rich man who desired to help them, but required 
as a condition that he should be told of their need, 
and be allowed to aid in his own way and at his 
own time — would this deter them from besieging 
the rich man’s gate, and wearing the steps of his 
doors ? 

If in the things of this world union is strength ; 
if co-operation is one of the most potent factors 
of commercial success, and the counsel of experts 
a boon to be utilised to the full, why should there 
be less eagerness to secure it for the business of 
eternity ? 

O children of this world, what a perpetual 
reproach you are to the children of light 1 With 
all our faith, with all our prudence, how blind and 
foolish we show ourselves when there is question 
of the things of eternity and of the soul ! Of 
course we should like the present satisfaction of a 
comforting word from our Prince, our Judge, our 
Divine ^Friend in the Tabernacle. But is it for 


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us to lay down the terms on which His favour is 
to be won ? Because there is difficulty in prayer 
- — and that there is, no one who has practised it 
will deny — are we going to forego all its privileges? 

Prayer was not meant for luxuiy, 

Or selfish pastime sweet; 

It is the prostrate creature’s place, 

At the Creator’s feet, 1 

For most of us prayer is no luxury. If 
occasionally it is an easy duty, a relief, it is 
oftener weary labour, and at times a veritable 
agony. But what of that, if by this labour and 
through this agony we are earning the present 
help we need, and the free, blissful, face-to-face 
intercourse with our Heavenly Father, our 
Saviour, our Friend, our Brother, which is to 
endure throughout eternity ? 

Meanwhile His eye is upon us, noting with 
pity the irksomeness and toil of “ the prayer of 
faith.” If to all humble, trustful prayer is at- 
tached the promise : “Ask, and you shall receive,* 
who shall tell the superadded force of that suppli- 
cation which, like His own under the olive trees, 
perseveres in the midst of fear, and heaviness, 
and sorrow ! u And being in an agony He prayed 
the longer.” 

1 Faber. 


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THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT 271 

O my Saviour and my Model, unite my heavi- 
ness and my pain with Thine. Support my weak 
prayer at all times by the strength of Thine own. 
Give it the fortitude of Thine in face of a coming 
trial Give it the trust that leaves all in the 
Father’s hands, accepting as good, and best, and 
infinitely loving, whatever He shall ordain; say- 
ing with Thee, “ Not my will, but Thine be done. 
Yea, Father, for so hath it seemed good in Thy 
sight/ 


Oblation and Petition, p. 87. 
Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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THE WELCOME OF A 
SUPPLIANT 

III 


u Good Master ! ” 

Before Comtmmfon. 

The ruler in the Gospel was mistaken in think- 
ing that only on the spot could Christ work the 
cure he asked. But he was not mistaken in be- 
lieving that with Him all good would come under 
his roof. Hence his earnest request that He 
would “come down” and heal his child. It 
was a desire that would take no refusal. 

Jesus therefore said to him : “ Unless you see 
signs and wonders, you believe not.” The ruler 
saith to Him : “ Lord, come down before that my 
son die.” As if he would say: “Lord, in Thy 
kindness defer to a more seasonable hour the 
reproaches I so well deserve ; but now look only 
to my need ; make haste to help me. I cannot 

* 7 * 


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THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT 273 

afford that Thou shouldst seek any plea for the 
exercise of Thy mercy beyond my necessity and 
my pain.” 

I too, dear Lord, am right in believing that 
with Thy Blessed Presence all good will come 
into my soul. Thou art the Supreme Good. Good- 
ness is Thy very nature. It was Thy goodness 
that attracted to Thee the needy and the suffer- 
ing during the three-and-thirty years of Thy life 
on earth. A young man comes running up, and 
kneeling before Thee says : “ Good Master, what 
shall I do that I may receive life everlasting 1 ” 
Thou hadst just been embracing and blessing 
the little children. Had he seen Thee fondling 
the little tender things, and learned thus Thy 
love for the young ? Anyway, he came running 
to pour out the fulness of his eager heart. As he 
looked up into Thy face, it was its goodness that 
struck him ; the name that rose to his lips was : 
“ Good Master.” 

4 And Jesus looking on him, loved him.” Good 
Master, look on me and love me. I have not 
seen Thee yet, I have not come under the spell 
of Thy divine attractiveness. I am not eager, 
fervent, generous. But I come to Thee. I come 
like the ruler with a prayer for help, that no sense 
of my unworthiness can check. I come like the 
young man with desires that Thou Thyself hast 
kindled. And, Lord, if Thou wilt but look on me 

8 


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and speak to me, I will not go away sorrowful, 
but with Thy help will give Thee all Thou askest 
of me. 

“ Our soul waiteth for the Lord, for He is oui 
Helper and Protector” (Ps. xxxi.). 

“ For in Him our heart shall rejoice, and in His 
holy Name we have trusted 99 (Id ). 

“Let thy mercy, 0 Lord, be upon us, as we 
have hoped in Thee * (Id.), 

“ How Thou deliverest them that wait for Thee, 
O Lord 99 (Ecclus. li.). 

“ I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled 
within me” (Ps. cviii.). 

“O look upon me and have mercy on me . . . 
show me a token for good 99 (Ps. lxxxv.). 

“Do it for Thy Name’s sake” (Jer. xiv.). 

after CTontmunton. 

“ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts 1 99 

“ We praise Thee ; we bless Thee ; we adore 
Thee ; we glorify Thee.” 

“We give Thee thanks for Thy great glory,” 
and more thanks for the wonderful condescension 
wherewith Thou dost abase Thyself to us. 

“ Whence is this to me that my Lord should 
come to me ? ” 

“Profoundly I adore Thee, 0 hidden Deity.” 
“.Truly Thou art a hidden God ” (Isa. xlv.). 


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THE WELCOME OF A SUPPLIANT 275 

“ Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” 
“ My Lord and my God.” 

“ Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power 99 (Apoc. iv.). 

“ Amen. Benediction, and glory, and thanks- 
giving, honour, and power, and strength to our 
God for ever and ever. Amen 99 (Apoc. vii.). 


“ And note, 0 Lord , think of me 91 (Tobias iii.). 

Remember Thou hast said : “ Every one that 
asketh, receiveth 99 (Luke xi.). The promise is 
made, not to Saints, but to “ every one 99 ; not to 
merit, but to prayer. I come in under every one. 
Give me a kind hearing, dear Lord. 

I believe that as Thou art Almighty, and canst 
help me in every need, and All Wise, knowing 
the best time and way to come to my aid, so 
Thou art All Good and wilt help, if not always 
as I desire and as soon as I desire, yet always in 
the way best for me, as I shall see and own with 
joyful gratitude some day. It may well be that 
the grant of my prayer in the exact form that I 
ask would be less conducive to Thy glory and my 
good or the good of those for whom I pray, than 
that way of Thine foreseen from eternity as the 
best. Therefore, O Father, I commit all to Thee. 
I trust in Thy promise : “ What I do Thou 
knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.” 


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I believe firmly that when at Thy feet in Heaven 
I look back on these things of time, and Thou 
discoverest to me causes and reasons hidden from 
me now, I shall see with admiration and delight 
that all has been for the best, that Thy Wisdom 
and Thy Love have ordered all things sweetly. 
To Angels and to Saints, to all the host of 
Heaven m} cry of praise will go forth : “ He 
hath done all things well ” (Mark vii.), (i Give 
praise to our God, all ye His servants, and you 
that fear Him, little and great” (Apoc. xix.). 
“ As it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done ” 
(Job i.). “ Blessed be the Name of His majesty 

for ever ” (Ps. lxxi.). 

My inability at present to guess how this will 
come to pass is no trial to my faith. Far easier 
is it to believe in the narrowness of my own 
views, than to doubt of the breadth, and wisdom, 
and goodness of Thine, my God. Why, then, 
should I not rehearse the praise of that first hour 
in Heaven ; why not say now in faith and in 
trust : 44 He hath done all things well. Bless the 
Lord, 0 my soul, and let all that is within me 
bless His holy Name. For He hath done all 
things well. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and 
never forget all He hath done for thee. For He 
hath done all things well.” 

The time for merit will soon be past. There 
will be no place for faith and trust when in Thy 


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THE WELCOME OP A SUPPLIANT 277 


light I shall see light. I shall not be able then 
to glorify Thee as now when I see in a dark 
manner and have the blessing of those who have 
not seen and have believed. Now is the accept- 
able time, now are the days of salvation. There- 
fore, dear Father, take even my most earnest 
desires and prayers as subject always and per- 
fectly to Thy good pleasure. And give me such 
childlike trust in Thee that it may not be shaken 
or troubled when my prayer goes apparently 
unheard. i( Let not your heart be troubled. You 
believe in God, believe also in Me,” were Thy 
words to the Twelve at the Last Supper, and not 
to them only, but to all who should believe 
in Thee. Lord, I believe. I believe in Thee 
because Thou art God. I believe in Thy tender 
love and care of me and of all whom I love. 
Therefore my heart shall not be troubled. “ But 
I will always hope; and will add to all Thy 
praise” (Ps. lxx.). Hope is praise, a glorious 
worship of Thee reserved for earth, unknown 
even in the Land of Praise. I will offer it gladly 
whilst I can. I will sing to the Lord as long as 
I live: I will sing praise to my God while I 
have my. being (Ps. ciii.). 

Oblation and Petition, pp. 169, 171. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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THE WELCOME OF LOVE 


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THE WELCOME OF LOYE 
I 


" Love is the fulfilling of the law” — Bom. xiii. 


Before ffiomtmmfon. 

Rabboni, Master, come to me and teach my heart 
to love Thee ! Teach me this science which 
alone suffices, the acquisition of which discharges 
every obligation, and satisfies the whole intellect 
as well as the whole heart of man. Let life’s 
joys and sorrows come and go ; let its events and 
vicissitudes guided by Thy Providence pass over 
my head ; let its experiences train, and its various 
influences mould my soul in conformity with the 
design in Thy eternal mind. And let love be the 
goal of all, everything converging to that centre, 
everything, however opposed thereto in outward 
seeming, tending thither — weakness, failure, im- 
perfection, misery, past sin even — all things, all 
things without exception working together for 
the good of one who loves Thee, Lord, who 

a8x 


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desires to love Thee to the full extent of Thy 
commandment ; who would have the whole heart, 
the whole soul, mind, and strength, and memory, 
and imagination anchored on Thee, filled with 
Thee, acting for Thee alone. 

I think my prayer for love grows in sincerity 
as I realise more and more the conditions of love 
— the necessity of the ceaseless struggle with self 
which stands upon my threshold and bars Thy 
way into my soul, of the painful purification of 
the soul and the destruction of all that opposes 
the reign of love. To pray for love is to pray for 
strength in a lifelong combat. Am I ready for 
this, can I pray for this? Yes, Lord, even 
though I am conscious of such weakness as would 
crush all hope out of my soul did I not know 
that strength is made perfect in infirmity. 
Abyss calleth upon abyss ; from the depths I cry 
to Thee. Thine arm is not shortened, nor am I 
the only creature of Thy hands beyond the reach 
of Thy Omnipotence. Thou hast loved me with 
an everlasting love. Purify this soul of mine 
that before the sands of life are run out its every 
affection may be centred in Thee. 

“ And He went up and lay upon the child, and 
put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon 
his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and the 
child’s flesh grew warm 99 (4 Kings iv.). 


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THE WELCOME OF LOYE 283 

Christ unites His sacred flesh to mine, His 
Heart and Soul to mine in a union only sur- 
passed in intimacy by the Hypostatic union 
itself. Gradually His life passes into mine, my 
coldness, inertness, lifelessness give way — “ the 
child's flesh grew warm.” 

Lord, what can I do to aid in this resurrection ? 
What but yield myself to Thee. For the work 
must be Thine. Only let there be nothing in me 
to hinder Thine action, no deliberate sin, no 
resistance to grace, no holding back from Thee a 
sacrifice Thou demandest of me. Make me more 
and more Thine each day. So act and influence 
through me, that there may be simply Thy action 
with nothing of mine to spoil it. Unite me so 
intimately with Thyself in Holy Communion, that 
Thy thoughts, ways, feelings, tastes, may pass 
into me, that I may grow into Thy likeness. 
Then I shall be able to work for Thee, or rather 
then Thou wilt be able to use me as Thy instru- 
ment. Thou didst say, dear Lord, of Thyself : 
“ He that sent Me is with Me, and He hath not 
left Me alone.” This is what I want to say. 
Let this be true of me. I am Thy ambassador 
sent into this world with a work to do for Thee, 
a work in my own soul, a work for others. Thou 
knowest I can do neither except in Thy strength, 
by Thee and with Thee. Be with me, then, 
always. Do not leave me alone. Oh that by 


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union with Thee I could say like Thee : “ I do 
always the things that please Him.” 

Remember, Lord, Thy promise : “ He that 
eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me.” This 
is all I ask or desire — to live by Thee ; Thy 
memory, not mine ; Thy understanding, not 
mine ; Thy will, not mine ; not my thoughts, 
and actions, and words, but Thy thoughts, Thy 
words, Thy actions, the desires of Thy Soul, the 
affections of Thy Heart. Ah, Lord, if it could 
come to this at last — that Thy Spirit could flow 
into me and give life to me as the vine gives life 
to the branch ! 


after Communion. 

Thy blessed Name, dear Lord, is all I need in 
the first moments after Communion : 

It is faith and adoration when I say — Jesus, 
Jesus! 

It is praise and thanksgiving when I say — 
Jesus, Jesus! 

It means hope and trust when I say — Jesus, 
Jesus! 

It is love and welcome when I say — Jesus, 
Jesus ! 

It is sorrow for my sins when I say — Jesus, 
Jesus ! 

It is joy and delight in Thee when I say— 
Jesus, Jesus! 


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THE WELCOME OF LOYE 285 

I make reparation for the outrages offered 
Thee when I say — Jesus, Jesus ! 

I abandon myself and all I have to Thee when 
I say — Jesus, Jesus I 

I pray for union of mind and heart with Thee 
when I say — Jesus, Jesus I 

I express all I desire for time and eternity 
when I say — Jesus, Jesus ! 

I have Thee here, I hold Thee within my 
narrow heart, O immense, illimitable God ! I, 
poor and weak, possess Thee, the Creator of 
heaven and earth, and of all things visible and 
invisible. I, dull and ignorant, am one with 
Thee who knowest all things, past, present, and 
to come ; all the secrets of nature and of grace ; 
all things actual and possible ; all the most 
hidden recesses of my heart, its sinfulness and 
its merits, its efforts and its frailty, its capabili- 
ties and its desires. I, cold and selfish, embrace 
Thee, the Lover of all that Thou hast made, the 
bender, steadfast Lover of my soul. Oh that I 
could make Thee a return of love such as is due 
to Thee and might bear some proportion to Thy 
love of me ! I could almost be content to be poor 
and weak and dull and ignorant, if I were not so 
cold. This is the pain I lift perpetually to Thee 
in prayer. This, if anything, would make me 
desire to be dissolved and be with Christ, I 


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look forward to the time when at the sight 
of Thy beauty and Thy lovableness, my cold- 
ness will melt and vanish faster than a glacier 
beneath the torrid sun; when, without effort, 
nay, impelled by the force of every power within 
me, I shall love Thee with all my heart, with all 
my soul, with all my mind, and with all my 
strength. Adveniat regnum tuum ! 

Lord, teach me to love Thee. Let my love 
grow with each Communion till it becomes a 
faint reflection of Thy love for me. Let me 
centre all my affections, desires, interests, in 
Thee, so that I may come at last to he like 
Thee in tastes and ways, and habits of thought, 
and mode of dealing with others. Make it 
easy to me to speak to Thee. In joy or trouble 
or uncertainty let my first thought be to consult 
Thee. Let me bring to Thee all that interests 
me, and let me take much to heart whatevei 
interests Thoe and concerns Thy glory. Help 
me to receive from Thy hand with unques- 
tioning trust all that Thou permittest to befall 
me; to make sacrifices for Thee readily, even 
joyously; to be glad to suffer in Thy company, 
glad of the conformity with Thee which the 
cross brings. 

My heart, dear Lord, is cold and selfish. So 
was the world when Thou earnest to it. But 
what a change Thy coming made! Not all at 


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THE WELCOME OF LOVE 287 

once, but steadily, a marvellous transformation 
came about. Thou hadst cast fire upon it, Thy 
consuming love for God and man. And the 
flame spread and is spreading, and all who are 
Thine are called to feed and extend it. But 
to warm other hearts our own must be aglow. 
Warm mine, O Lord, by contact with Thine own ! 

Oblation and Petition , p. 87. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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THE WELCOME OF LOYE 

II 


“Let this mind be in you which was also in 
Christ Jesus .” — Philip, ii. 


before ffiomnwnfon. 

A comprehensive desire and prayer, worthy of 
St. Paul. Lord J esus, could it be fulfilled in me, 
I would ask nothing more for myself in this life 
or in the next. Could it be realised in those I 
love, in those entrusted to me, in all Christians, 
in all men — there would be nothing left for us to 
desire. Could the whole human family, of which 
Thou art the Head, live by Thy life and Thy 
spirit, what more would there be to hope for — Thy 
Will would be done on earth as it is in heaven : 
Thy Kingdom would have come : the kingdom 
of this world would have “ become our Lord’s and 
His Christ’s ” ( Apoc. xi.). 

Our work in life is to bring our mind and 
heart, our inward dispositions and exterior 

s88 


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THE WELCOME OF LOYE 289 

actions, into conformity with those of Christ. 
His predilections and aversions; His valuation 
of the comforts, pleasures, honours, of this passing 
life ; His judgments respecting poverty, persecu- 
tion for justice* sake, meekness, mourning, deeds 
of mercy, forgiveness of injuries ; His estimate 
of the Cross in its many shapes, of treasure in 
heaven that faileth not; His tenderness for the 
little children and the weak things of this world, 
for the outcast, and the fallen, and k the down- 
trodden; His love for His sinless Mother; His 
all-absorbing love of the Father, which, to use our 
human language, was the ruling passion of His 
Soul, which, when His Heart was fullest, freest, 
heaviest* found vent in the most vehement words 
of His sacred lips — all this is the translation to 
us of the mind of Christ. Well might the great 
Apostle who had so well “ learned Christ,” con- 
tent himself with this one desire for the children 
whom he had begotten in the Gospel : “ Let this 
mind be in you which was in Christ J esus.” 

Why should not this desire be realised in me 
after Communion, after my frequent Com- 
munions? For what does Christ come to me 
if not for this? 0 Jesus, take from my mind 
what has no place in Thine, and give me to live 
by Thee ! 

Let me be united with Thee as love desires, in 
thought, affection, will, abiding in Thee and Thou 

T 


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in me. Give me the strong purpose of over- 
coming in myself all that is displeasing to Thee 
and a hindrance to Thy love, and help me, for 
without Thee I can do nothing. Destroy the 
selfishness that crowds Thee out of my soul and 
stifles whatever of generosity may be them 
Make me ready for labour and for sacrifice in 
Thy service, ready to give Thee gifts that cost. 
Give me grace to shun all wilful offence of Thee ; 
to desire and to choose what best pleases Thee ; 
to love Thee with my whole mind, directing to 
Thee all my thoughts, intentions, actions ; with 
my whole heart, fixing on Thee all my affections, 
seeking Thy glory, promoting Thy interests ; with 
my whole soul and all its desires and aspirations; 
with my whole strength. In a word, let Thy 
mind be in me, O Lord ! 

%Lttuc Communion. 

f * Bless the Lord, all ye His Angels, you that 
are mighty in strength ” (Ps. cii.). “ Sing praises 
to our God, sing ye ; sing praises to our King, sing 
ye ” (Ps. xlvi.). M For this is God, our God unto 
eternity, and for ever and ever ” (Ps. xlvii.) : 

Who became incarnate for my sake : 

Who was born in Bethlehem — for me : 

Who grew up in the Home at Nazareth, and 
was subject to His parents, and toiled at a trade : 


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THE WELCOME OF LOVE 291 

“Jesus, at whose Name every knee shall bow’* 
(Philip, ii.). 

“ Bless the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord " 
(Ps. cxxxiii.). “O magnify the Lord with me, 
and let us extol His Name together ” (Ps. xxxiii.). 
For this is God, our God unto eternity, and for 
ever and ever : 

Who lived in a despised village for thirty years 
— for me : 

Who suffered hunger and thirst, and cold, and 
weariness — for me : 

Who went to and fro among men, gentle, 
attractive, doing good to all : 

Jesus, meek and humble of heart. 

“ Come, let us praise the Lord with joy, let us 
joyfully sing to God, our Saviour” (Ps. xciv.). 
For this is God, our God unto eternity, and for 
ever and ever : 

Who gathered together the Twelve and founded 
His Church — for me : 

Who healed the blind, and the maimed, and 
lepers, and every disease and every infirmity : 

Who welcomed and absolved the outcast sinner : 

Jesus, who came to seek and to save that which 
was lost. 

“Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to 
Him, and His wonderful works to the children of 


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*92 

men 99 (Ps. cvi.). For this is God, our God unto 
eternity, and for ever and ever : 

Who for my sake became a worm and no man ; 

Who loved me and delivered Himself for me 
even to the death of the Cross : 

Who rpse from the dead — for me : 

Who stands at the right hand of the Father, 
ever making intercession for me : 

Who will be my reward exceeding great : 

Jesus, yesterday, and to-day, and the same for 
ever. 

M Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is 
within me bless His holy Name ” (Ps. cii.). 

“ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee ” (Id.). 

u Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power ” (Apoc. iv.). 

Amen. Benediction and glory, and thanks- 
giving, honour, and power, and strength to our 
God for ever and ever. Amen ” (Apoc. vii.). 

Lord, I should love to make Thee loved! I 
envy those who by the holiness of their life, the 
influence of their example, the sweet tactfulness 
of their ways, light up the fire of Thy love on 
every side of their path through life. But why 
should not this be the fruit of my Communions ? 
Every branch, even the farthest and the feeblest* 


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THE WELCOME OF LOYE 293 

is vivified by the parent vine, and Thou hast 
said : “ I am the vine, you the branches ; he that 
abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth 
much fruit.” There is no other condition. The 
promise is not to mature sanctity, heroic self- 
sacrifice, sublime heights of prayer, but to 
abiding in Thee. But Thy words imply frequent 
union ; a Communion at distant intervals is not 
abiding. If I want to bear much fruit, if I want 
to live by Thee, I must come to Thee often. 

And in how many ways dost Thou urge upon 
me this frequent reception : 

“ Come to Me, all you that labour.” 

“Come, eat My bread, and drink the wine # 
that I have mingled for you.” 

“You will not come to Me that you may have 
life.” 

“ Compel them to come in, that My house may 
be full.” 

“ Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man 
\nd drink His blood, you shall not have life in 
you.” 

Invitations, threats, reproaches — all pressed 
into the service of love, all testifying to Thy 
eagerness, O Divine Host ! Thou must see Thy 
house full, Thy table crowded with guests. Are 
we necessary, then, to Thy happiness? In a 
sense, yes, for God is love. 

Lord, I will come to Thee ; I have stayed away 


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too long. I will come to Thee often that I may 
live by Thee. Let my thoughts be the reflection 
of Thine, my words the echo of Thine, my deeds 
the continuation of Thine. Let my thoughts 
about the events of this passing life be lofty like 
Thine ; about the failings of others, tender and 
compassionate like Thine ; about my own weak- 
ness and misery, patient, hopeful of all things, 
like Thine. As the vine vivifies the branch, as 
the head gives life, and movement, and direction 
to the least of the members, so be to me, Thy 
last and least, the principle of spiritual life and 
energy, that all my works may be done in and 
by Thee, and may profit the souls whom Thou 
lovest. 


Oblation and Petition , pp. 169, 171. 
Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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III 


“ I sought Him whom my soul lovetli.” — Cant. iiL 


Before GDommunfon. 

The first word of our catechism puts before us 
the end of our creation, the one only reason for 
which we were created and sent into this world — 
God to know ; God to love and serve ; to know, 
that I may be able to love and serve. This is my 
business in life. It is for this life is given. And 
when the time allotted me for this work has 
run its course, the life that is lent me will be 
called for again (Wisd. xv.). 

Without this end, my life here is meaningless 
and inexplicable. The powers of my soul, unless 
I misdirect them, are ever tending to God. 
Prayer, in which they all concur, is feeling for 
Him in the night; seeking a way to His pres- 
ence ; waiting at His door ; trying one entrance 

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after another; hastening to where a ray of light 
from the Throne room falling out on the darkness, 
tells of a chink through which I may perchance 
catch a glimpse of Him. 

Oh, it is weary work, this waiting, and listen- 
ing, this eagerness disappointed ! Harder still the 
waiting and listening when eagerness has died 
out and stern will alone continues the quest for 
Him, or sits down dogged but uncomforted at 
His door! 

Weary work in truth, yet more contenting than 
any happiness outside of God. For we are made 
for Him, and a lifelong search is more satisfying 
to the soul than the finding and possession of 
aught that is not Himself. 

In the Canticle of Canticles, the history of 
love, we find this search depicted, with its dili- 
gence, its disappointments, its questionings, its 
perseverance, its final reward. 11 In the night 
I sought Him whom my soul loveth, I sought 
Him and found Him not. . . . Have you seen 
Him whom my sotd loveth ? . . . When I had a 
little passed by I found Him whom my soul 
loveth, I found Him, and will not let Him go.” 
(Cant. iii.). My Beloved to me and I to Him, till 
the day break and the shadows retire (Cant, ii.). 

So let me see Thee, Lord, through the night of 
this life, watching, listening, questioning, where 


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THE WELCOME OF LOVE 297 

the beautiful things of the physical world, and 
the events of daily life, and the inspirations of 
grace are ready to reveal Thee to me. Give me 
the eager heart, O Lord, from which, though 
Thou mayst hide Thyself for a time, Thou wilt 
not withhold Thyself at last. Remember Thou 
hast said, “ Every one that asketh receiveth, and 
he that seeketh, findeth ; and to him that 
knocketh, it shall be opened.” I ask ; I seek ; I 
knock. Open to me, not only the door of Thy 
kingdom, but Thy arms and Thy hearty and say 
to me — “ Come ! ” 

after (Eotnmunfon. 

“7 believe. Lord , and falling down he adored 
Him? — John ix. 

“ Lord, I believe, I adore.” 

“ Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God 99 
(John xi.). 

“ My Lord and my God ” (John xx.). 

u *What have I in heaven, and besides Thee 
what do I desire upon earth. Thou art the God 
of my heart and the God that is my portion for 
ever ” (Ps. lxxii.). 

“ Sing to the Lord, 0 ye His Saints ” (Ps. xxix.). 

“ For who is God but the Lord, or who is God 
but our God ? ” (Ps. xvii.). 


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“ Let all Thy works, 0 Lord, praise Thee, and 
let Thy Saints bless Thee (Ps. cxliv.). 

Lord, teach me to love Thee. Draw me within 
the circle of Thy attraction. Do for me what 
Thou hast done for so many. There are hearts 
that were once dull and irresponsive like mine, 
hoping they loved, but conscious that in their 
affection there was no spark of the glowing fire 
that burned in the breast of Thy Saints. They 
desired to love, to make Thee a return for 
the infinite love wherewith Thou hadst loved 
them. They prayed for this; prayed with diffi- 
culty ; prayed against repugnance ; prayed coldly, 
wearily — but prayed. Years came and went, and 
still their dry, hard prayer went up to God. 
Nothing came of it, no change, no greater facility, 
no warmth in their relations with Him, no 
greater ease in the sacrifices His service called 
for. So it seemed. And still they prayed on, 
little dreaming that the very perseverance of 
their joyless prayer for love was love’s choicest 
fruit: ‘ 1 Lord, teach me to love Thee; teach 
me to love Thee.” Not yet was it safe for Him 
to show them how truly they loved. Death 
came, and they met Him for the first time, met 
Him face to face. His arms were outstretched ; 
His face was glowing ; His eye lit up at their 
approach, and ere they could fall at His feet 


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THE WELCOME OF LOYE 299 

He had folded them to His heart. “Lord, 
Thou knowest that I love Thee,” they had said 
below, diffidently, as if fearing a disclaimer. 
Now He shows them their love purified as gold 
fire-tried. They see it, they recognise it now. 
All Heaven bears witness to it and congratulates 
them on their fidelity to Him, “whom having not 
seen they loved” (Pet. i.). All Heaven rejoices 
with them in their nearness to Him for all 
eternity, in the eternal vision of Him, the eternal 
embrace of Him that is the reward of earth’s 
sorely-tried, suffering, yet clinging love. 

Who would not be content to wait for reward 
such as this ! Lord, I will wait as long as Thou 
wiliest, and through any trial that Thou wiliest. 
I will wait patiently, for if Thou delayest Thou 
wilt surely come. 

And Thou, dearest Lord, wilt be patient too. 
Thou wilt wait for me, bearing with my sluggish- 
ness, my selfishness, my trying ways. It will 
not be for long. Life here will soon be done, 
and then — Life everlasting ! Even in Purgatory 
there will be the perfect fulfilling of the great 
commandment. It will be Purgatory only because 
it will keep me from Him whom I love. Heaven 
will be Heaven because its first instant of revela- 
tion of the King in His beauty will bring a 
capacity for, and an endowment of, love such as I 


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300 

have never dreamed of here ; a love that will fill 
to overflowing, absorb and satisfy through an 
endless eternity the soul Thou hast made for 
Thyself. 


Oblation and Petition, p. 87. 
Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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I 


"Lord, he whom Thou lovest is sick ” — John xi 


Before (fDotmmmfotu 

How our Lord tries His friends, and how He 
expects them to trust Him! He was beyond 
the Jordan, in the place where John baptized, 
when a messenger came from the sisters at 
Bethany to tell Him of the sickness of their 
brother: “Lord, he whom Thou lovest is sick.” 
It was a trustful message, a mere representation 
of their need, no request for Him to come to 
them, still less any urgent solicitation. It was 
trustful, and it was considerate. They only 
reminded Him that the trouble concerned one 
whom He loved. 

The bearer of the tidings waited to see if our 
Lord would return with him, and interrupt, as 

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was His wont, His work of teaching to go to a 
house of mourning. No. “When He had heard 
therefore that he was sick, He still remained 
in the same place two days.” We are not even 
told of any message of comfort to the sisters. All 
He said was : “ This sickness is not unto death, 
but for the glory of God, that the Son of God 
may be glorified by it.” 

From Bethany to Perea was an eight hours* 
journey, and the man must have been a day on 
the road. Our Lord stayed yet two days in 
Perea before returning to Judea, and on His 
arrival found that Lazarus had been four days 
in the grave. Consequently he must have died 
soon after the departure of the messenger, and 
would have been buried in about two hours. 

What were the thoughts of Martha and Mary 
as, barefoot and covered with their long black 
veils, they sat on the ground bewailing their 
dead after the manner of mourning among the 
Jews? There was plenty of unhelpful sympathy. 
For “many came to comfort them concerning 
their brother,” and to express surprise that the 
great Wonder-worker who showed Himself so 
prodigal of His favours to strangers had been 
unable to do anything for His friends. The 
stricken sisters listened in silence. What could 
they say? Their Lord had not come or taken 
any notice of their trouble beyond the mysterious 


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WELCOME OF A CROSS-BEARER 305 

words that the sickness was not unto death ; and 
temptation, always busy about those in sorrow, 
whispered : This, then, was the great prophet in 
whom they had put their trust. He did not 
seem greatly concerned for them or to under- 
stand much about the case. At the hour when 
He said the sickness was not unto death, Lazarus 
was already dead. 

How did Martha and Mary meet the trial from 
within and without? How did they keep up 
each other’s trust? They could not fathom our 
Lord’s words that this sickness was for the glory 
of God, and that the Son of God might be glori- 
fied by it. His ways were “past finding out.” 
But they clung to Him in their desolation. 
They thought of His tenderness in the past, and 
over and over again kept repeating that if He 
had been there Lazarus had not died. These 
were the first words that came to their lips when 
He came at last, and they threw themselves at 
His feet. The loving reproach brought tears to 
His eyes, though He knew the time was at hand 
for Him to turn their sorrow into joy. 

Now He need not have let them suffer so 
sorely these four daya A word enabling them 
to penetrate the meaning of His words on re- 
ceiving their message would have been so easy. 
Is any reason given why He left them for awhile 
in their desolation ? Yes : 

V 


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“Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister 
Mary, and Lazarus. When He had heard there- 
fore that He was sick, He still remained in the 
same place two days” (John xi.). An artificer 
employs for his work the tools proper to it. For 
the sanctification of souls God uses the instru- 
ment by which the Author of their salvation wa*» 
Himself perfected (Heb. ii.). His ways of deal- 
ing with them are infinitely varied, but we find 
none that has passed through life without its 
cross. Nothing can supply the place of the 
cross or do its work. Where it stays long and 
is well received, it chastens, strengthens, en- 
nobles. It gives a refinement, a spiritual per- 
ception, a depth, a maturity, not found in souls 
that have come but slightly under its discipline. 
It is the cross that develops all the possibilities 
of human nature. But wherever it is present^ 
God is there, watching to see that its pressure 
is neither too heavy nor too prolonged. Our 
Lord yearned for the moment when He might 
go to comfort those whom He loved. There is an 
eagerness in His words to the Twelve : “ Let us 
go into Judea again. ... I am glad for your 
sakes that I was not there, but let us go to him.” 

“Let us go to him.” Say this to-day, dear 
Lord, as Thou comest to me. I welcome Thee 
to a sad heart, but one that clings to Thee in 
its pain, accepts Thy Will, enters into Thy 


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WELCOME OF A CROSS-BEARER 307 

designs, trusts Thee to bring good out of this 
as out of every trial. All things work together 
unto good to them that love Thee. I love Thee ; 
Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. I know 
that the cross brings with it the opportunity of 
showing a purer and more generous love. I 
know that amid pain which entered into every 
fibre of soul and body Thou didst prove Thy love 
for me. Take my pain, my willing acceptance 
of the cross that weighs upon me now, as proof 
of my love. By the tenderness of Thy Heart, 
by Thy tears over the grave of Lazarus, draw 
me closer to Thee by this trial and by every 
trial of my life. 

“ Where have you laid him ? n 

“ Lord, come and see.” 

A friend must see and hear everything that 
concerns us. Nothing is too insignificant for his 
notice. Everything will go better for his advice. 
If our orchids have won a prize, he must admire 
them. If we have fallen out with a neighbour, 
he must hear how it came about. If our hearts 
are breaking over another grave, he must come 
and see where we have laid him. “ I have 
called you friends,” our Lord says to ua He 
values the confidence that counts on His friend- 
ship in the least affairs of everyday life as in its 
crucial houra And he invites it. “ What are 


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308 

these discourses that you hold one with another 
as you walk, and are sad V* •.» 

It is hard to bring home to ourselves what He 
must have been to those who during His life on 
earth He called His friends, what it was to be 
able to fall back on an affection that was omni- 
potent, all-wise, unfailingly tender and provident. 
With Him at hand no harm could come. Hence 
the trustful word of Martha and Mary: “Lord, 
if Thou hadst been here my brother had not died.” 
He inspired a trust that no apparent rigour could 
shake. If He seemed deaf to their prayers, He 
had some good reason for refusal or delay; greater 
good would come to them in the end. Whatever 
came must be not good only bub best, if it was 
His choice for them. And so disappointed hopes 
brought no diminution of trust. It only meant 
that He was going to help in some better way. 
“ Lord, if Thou hadst been here my brother had 
not died. But now also I know that whatsoever 
Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee.” 
“ It is not good to take the bread from the 
children, and cast it to the dogs,” was His 
answer to the Canaanite who followed Him with 
her imploring : “Lord, help me.” “Yea, Lord,” 
she replied, and adroitly turned his objection into 
a further plea for mercy. 

Oh that we could count on Him as did the 
friends of His life on earth! That we could 


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WELCOME OF A CROSS-BEARER 309 

learn to bring all our troubles to His feet. He 
does not mind if our tale is one-sided ; if we give 
our own faulty version only, bearing all over it 
the unmistakable varnish of self-love. It is the 
confidence He values, the outpouring that gives 
Him the opportunity of infusing His own Spirit 
into ours, 44 pouring in oil and wine,” the sooth- 
ing and strengthening grace we need. We shall 
never leave His feet without the soreness of our 
wounds being to some extent allayed, the chafing 
of our cross lessened, the will braced to follow 
our Master with greater courage on the uphill 
road. 


Sftet dDammutumt. 

44 Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the 
throne— the throne of His glory in Heaven, the 
throne here on earth of my poor heart.” 

“ O ye Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise 
and exalt Him above all for ever.” 

44 Give praise to our God, all ye His servants : 
and you that fear Him, little and great.” 

“ O give thanks to the Lord, because He is good, 
because His mercy endureth for ever.” 

“And now , 0 Lord , think of me ” (Tobias iii.). 

I come to Thee as the sisters of Bethany came 
after their brother’s death. They had done all 


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that lay in them to avert the blow. They had 
used all human means ; they had prayed ; they 
had waited patiently, looking for Thy help. And 
the blow fell. Their hearts were crushed, but 
there was no rebellion, no repining. They 
wondered at Thy ways, but adored what they 
could not fathom. They looked not to creatures 
for consolation, but betook themselves to Thee, 
and falling down at Thy feet poured out their 
sad hearts in the same words ; “ Lord, if Thou 
hadst been here my brother had not died.” They 
knew that Thou art all-powerful, yet there is no 
petition. Others came asking for miracles, and 
their faith is rewarded. Martha and Mary, who 
know Thee better than most, ask nothing. They 
had taken their trouble meekly from Thy hand, 
they lay it now at Thy feet, and look up into Thy 
face and trust. This won more from Thee than 
the most fervent prayer. And may we not say 
that the like trust will win more from Thee now. 
Nay, Lord, may we not believe that we in our 
troubles have a claim upon Thee that Martha 
and Mary had not. It was incomparably more 
easy to trust Him, whom they knew and loved 
as a personal Friend, than to rely on One whom 
we have not seen as yet, whom we know by 
hearsay, not face to face. And therefore the 
merit will be greater. Where sense has no foot- 
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cling more persistently to Thee. “ Because thou 
hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed : blessed 
are they who have not seen, and have believed.” 
Blessed, dear Lord, by Thine own lips are those 
who have not seen Thee, yet trust as Martha 
and Mary trusted ; who bring their sorrow to 
Thine altar, and leave it to Thee, the Hidden 
God, to help when and as Thou wilt — by removing 
the chalice from them, or by strengthening them 
to drink it generously after Thee and for Thy 
sake. 

Oblation and Petition , , pp. 169, 171. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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II 

“ Give us help in trouble , for vain is the aid of 
man.” — Ps, lix. 

Before Communion. 

Vain is the aid of man — not from want of 
patience to hear, or effort to unravel, or sympathy 
to appreciate difficulties, or kindness to seek and 
suggest a remedy. Goodwill we find abundantly, 
more than we have any right to expect. But 
there are times and needs when it goes for very 
little, how little we dare not show. 

Yes, truly, vain is the aid of man. He alone 
can bring true help in trouble who understands 
us through and through — every fibre and fold of 
our complex nature; every influence that has 
been brought to bear upon it from the beginning ; 
every response of will that has gone to the mould* 

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WELCOME OF A CROSS-BEARER 313 

ing of our character for better or for worse. Who 
knows our immense possibilities for good and for 
evil; the precise amount of guilt and of merit 
attaching to our every thought, and word, and 
deed, since we came to the use of reason. Who 
sees the ignorance and frailty that enables Him 
to find such abundant excuse for us; and the 
goodwill He is so ready to magnify and reward. 
Our bringing up He knows, and how home and 
friends, reading, amusements, the conflicts, cares, 
and sorrows of life have left their mark upon us. 
He understands our peculiar temperament, and 
estimates with perfect accuracy our strength and 
our resources, our physical, moral, and spiritual 
deficiencies. The pressure put upon spirits and 
temper by the monotony of daily duties and the 
rubs of daily life is known to Him, and the 
heavier trial of anxiety for those we love. The 
exact nature of our spiritual difficulties, and the 
causes of phenomena and vicissitudes which are 
altogether beyond our ken, are clear to Him. 
How it comes to pass that darkness suddenly 
overclouds our soul, as a fog drops upon the sea ; 
why grace will bear us triumphantly through one 
trial, and in another leave us to feel the effects of 
our own weakness and insufficiency, is His secret, 
who orders all things sweetly. He knows the 
precise degree of grace here and of glory here- 
after which He wills us to attain, and where 


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we further His designs and where we thwart 
them. 

We watch the gnats at play on a summer 
evening, but our eye cannot follow the intricacies 
of their mazy dance. Not so is it with us and 
the God who made us. Down every path we 
wander from the cradle to the grave, through all 
the network of manifold and conflicting influences 
under which we come, His eye follows us with 
unwearying interest, and a solicitude unimagin- 
able in its tenderness. Whatever sways us from 
without, whatever charms or chafes, the complex 
processes of thought, the play of imagination, the 
ebb and flow of passion, the deliberate acts of 
choice — all the crossing and recrossing and seem* 
ing tangle of the threads of life, stands out before 
Him clear and distinct, with its bearing on the 
destiny evolved therefrom by the action of our 
will, in the exercise of its dread but glorious 
prerogative of freedom. 

Oh, surely, we may turn with confidence to 
such a One as this ! For He is not Creator only, 
though this were sweet enough, but Father and 
Friend. He not only knows, but feels, and loves, 
and provides. If He lets the goodwill of those 
about us fail so signally to bring us help in 
trouble, it is that we may be driven into His 
open arms and folded to His breast. He needs 
none to disclose to Him the secrets of hearts, for 


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He knows what is in man. He hath set His eye 
upon otir hearts (Ecclus. xvii.), and every heart is 
understood by Him (Ecclus. xvi.). 

Musicians strain and snap at times the strings 
of their instruments. They overestimate their 
capabilities and their power of resistance. But 
the far more delicate instrument of the human 
soul has never yet been strained beyond en- 
durance by the hand of its Creator. He knows 
it through and through, its powers, its limitations, 
its every vibration of joy and pain. He who will 
not break the bruised reed has never riven the 
living fibres of “the harps of God ” (Apoc. xv.). 
Nay more. He never puts them to any tension 
except to bring them into harmony for the 
heavenly concert with which they are to mingle, 
the eternal Magnificat in which each has its 
appointed part. Do we want to be left out ? Do 
we refuse our training? Are we going to be 
rebellious beneath His touch, or find it too exact- 
ing or too prolonged ? Do we want to be flung 
aside where there is never-ending discord, “no 
order, but everlasting horror ” (Job x.) ? 

My God, I give myself up into Thy hands. 
Oh, if I knew for what Thou hast created this 
soul of mine, what melody Thou canst draw from 
this work of Thy hands, with what trembling 
ecstasy should I surrender myself to Thee to be 
prepared for the part I am to take in the hymn 


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of praise which creation is to sing to Thee when 
time is done ! 


after Communion. 

“Blessed be the Lord for this day” (3 
Kings v.). 

“ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee ” (Ps. cii.). 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants : 
and you that fear him, little and great ” 
(Apoc. xix.). 

“ Praise ye the Lord, for He is good ; sing ye 
to His Name, for it is sweet ” (Ps. cxxxiv.). 

“For He hath satisfied the empty soul, and 
hath filled the hungry soul with good things” 
(Ps. cvi.). 

“ Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power” (Apoc. iv.). 

“ Amen. Benediction, and glory, and thanks- 
giving, honour, and power, and strength to our 
God for ever and ever. Amen ” (Apoc. vii). 

Lord, come to me to-day to teach me how to 
take all things straight from Thy hand, not 
bemoaning myself, not blaming others when 
trouble comes. This is what the world does. 
This is its way of taking what it calls failure and 
misfortune. But Thy servants look at things 
from a higher standpoint. They know that He 


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who created them out of love, and in His love has 
prepared for them an eternity of delights without 
one pang, or hitch, or disappointment to over- 
cloud their happiness, expects them to trust Him 
in the little sorrows of this short life which will 
be gone directly. He wants them — not to like 
always what He sends — their Lord Himself did 
not do this, but to take it as training, sensibly 
and bravely, knowing it is to fit them for that 
life before the Throne of God, whose joy eye has 
not seen, nor ear heard, nor heart of man 
conceived. 

“ Remember that thou knowest not His work 
. . . every one behold eth afar off ” (Job xxxvi.). 
We do not, we cannot, see and understand 
clearly the inscrutable ways of God! But we 
have His promise : “ What I do thou knowest 
not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.” Faith 
and hope have so short a time assigned them 
in which to glorify Him, that there should be 
no waste, or faltering in their service. Of the 
three theological virtues, hope is the worst treated. 
We take ourselves to task for faults against faith 
and charity, but against hope we offend con- 
tinually and without the smallest scruple. Yet 
it is enjoined us no less than the others. And it 
is the outcome of the other two. If faith and 
charity are what they should be, hope will be 
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beget hope, as blue and yellow blending in the 
rainbow produce the tender green. 

Can I be mistrustful of a love that dates from 
eternity ? Can I fear harm in the shelter of the 
everlasting arms ? Shall I be querulous or 
anxious when my Father’s ways are “past finding 
out,” or doubt the tenderness of Him who will 
have mercy more than a mother (Ecclus. iv.) ? 

All comes straight from God to me , always , 
alicays, always ; and if I like I may leave out the 
human element altogether . 

All comes — therefore these very things that try 
me so — this special cross — this peculiar difficulty 
— these singularly perplexing circumstances — alL 

Comes straight — no person or event intervening 
to divert things from their right course — but all 
straight from God. 

From God — who knows me thoroughly — my 
wants — my desires — my need of purification — 
His designs over me — from God, my Father and 
the tenderest of Fathers. 

To me — His child, weak, sensitive, frightened, 
able to bear so little — yet desiring to please Him, 
to satisfy Him, to conform my will to His, to re- 
turn Him love for love. 

Always , always, always — therefore this morn- 
ing, this afternoon — in spite of circumstances 
which would seem to indicate that just this 


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WELCOME OF A CROSS-BEARER 319 

one thing could not have come from Him — 
always , always: “ To them that love God all 
things work together unto good” (Rom. viii.). 
How can I get out of that ? 

And if I like — of course I like ! How should I 
not like the truth — like to see God wherever He 
is ; however, He hides Himself ; under any 
disguise, however unlikely or repulsive ! Where- 
ever He appears, amid the glories of Thabor, 
across the sea in the misty morning, love is 
quick to recognise Him and to cry : Dominus 
est I It is the Lord ! 

I may leave out the human element — oh, it is 
this that hurts! Like Peter on the stormy 
waves, we turn our eyes from Jesus to look at 
creatures, and trouble comes in at once, and we 
begin to sink. It is the human element that is the 
hardest part of most trials. Then why look at it ? 
Why not leave it out of count, as I may do with 
perfect truth ? A wife who gets a message from 
her husband does not stop to consider the 
messenger. Neither must I stop at means ; the 
instrument is nothing to me. The notice of Him 
whom I love, the word that comes to me from 
Him, the desire to carry out His Will, absorbs me 
completely: Dominus est l It is the Lord! 
Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do 1 ? 

O Lord my God, give me the unclouded faith that 
sees Thee and Thee alone in all that befalls me— 


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in all events ; in all joys and sorrows ; in health 
and in sickness; in success and in failure; in 
evil report and good report ; in accidents, in dis- 
appointments, in weariness, in consolation, in 
interior trials. And give me not only light to see 
Thee, but love to embrace Thee, always and 
everywhere, my First Beginning and my Last 
End, my Lord and my God ! 

Oblation and Petition , p. io. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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III 


“ Come to Me all you that labour and are burdened , 
and I will refresh you ” — Matt, xi. 


Before (Communion. 

“ Come ” — Is it an invitation or a command ? 
Both. It is an invitation, for our Lord’s way is 
ever to attract rather than to compel. And it is a 
precept, for “ Except you eat the flesh of the Son 
of Man and drink His blood, you shall not have 
life in you ” (John vl). 

“ Come to Me ” — He does not send the hungry 
away fasting as the Apostles would have done, when 
five thousand men, besides women and children, 
followed Him into the desert. “They have no 
need to go,” He said. And He gathered them 
round Him, and fed them from His own hand, 
and sent them home refreshed and happy. 

3 2X X 


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“ Come to Me all 99 — lest in my perversity 1 
should deem myself exempted or excluded. But 
His invitation and His precept admit of no 
exception. " Come all.” 

“ Come to One who knows you through and 
through; who sees where and how the burden 
presses ; where are the weak places in your soul ; 
who discerns every effort and every desire; 
follows with loving interest every struggle, and 
often and often finds even in failure more to pity 
than to blame. 

“ Come to Me that I may help you, that I may 
guide and strengthen your hands, that I may lift 
your burden from you or lighten by sharing it, 
that I may show you the likeness to Me that it 
is working out in your soul, the reward it is 
meriting. 

“ Come to Me that I may make over to you My 
treasures ; My likes and dislikes, to be the rule of 
yours ; My peace that the world can neither give 
nor take away ; My love that is compensation for 
the loss of all beside. 

“ Come to Me that I may comfort you in your 
anxiety for those you love. There is no pain in 
which I can give you fuller sympathy. c I also have 
a heart like you 9 (Job xii.). I know what it is to 
see evil influences telling, the will weakening, the 
heart growing callous, the forces of the spiritual 
life losing their power to check and to charm. 


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“ Come to Me with confidence, for I am one of 
your race. I took a human Heart that I might 
know by my own experience what you have to 
suffer, and be able to give you that sympathy 
which a fellow-sufferer alone can give. The sting 
of injustice and ingratitude I have felt, and the 
agony of love powerless to save its best beloved. 
All that is bitterest in human sorrow I chose to 
feel, that I might draw to Myself by fellow- 
feeling every sorrowing heart, 

“ There are times when pent-up pain is stifling 
your soul. Come in those hours to Me. Un- 
burden yourself before Me. Say all, and say it 
freely. The vehemence of expostulation is under- 
stood by Me. No fear of angering by intemperate 
words One who beholds the agony of the soul. 
Without check, without rebuke, it may pour 
itself out before the all-loving Creator, whose 
infinite compassion has the added tenderness of 
His perfect human Heart. I remember the 
night of the Agony in Gethsemane, when the 
sorrows as well as the sins of My brethren were 
laid upon Me. I remember the strong cry and 
tears of my supplication. I take up and make 
My own, the cry, the broken prayer, of every 
sufferer, and set it before the Father with the 
pleading merits of My Passion. I will always 
hear. I will always help. The help shall be 
release from pain if this is best for you. If I 


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see, what you too will see some day, that fitter 
answer to prayer will be courage and strength, 
in that form your help shall come. O child, do 
not deprive yourself of what I can do for you in 
your hours of lonely trial. Come to Me and 
learn by your own experience the resource you 
have in My Heart ! 

“ Come to Me above all when the sense of sin 
oppresses you. It is a force that must impel you 
to Me, or from Me. What I want is that it 
should drive you into My arms. How is it that 
you fly from Me when you need Me most? That 
you think your faithlessness or your ingratitude 
should have so estranged Me or changed the re- 
lations between us as to make Me less your Father 
than before ? When you sin you are still Mine 
(Wisd. xv.). When by mortal sin a soul severs 
itself from Me as far as in it lies, it has not 
thereby made Me its enemy as men understand 
the word. They wish evil to their friend of an 
hour ago. They close their heart against him. 
They shrink from reconciliation. Nothing of this 
has place in Me. In the instant of his rejection 
of Me My arms are flung open to receive him 
again. My Heart is ready to restore all he has 
lost, to cherish, and trust, and bless as before. 
And this not once only, but as often as he needs 
and wills, not after one fall only, but after seventy 
times seven. I have loved you with an ever- 


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lasting love, a love that is persistent, patient, 
hoping all things. Come to Me after your falls, 
and I will make all right again. Come for the 
strength and the comfort you need. Come for the 
embrace and the kiss that are waiting for you. 
Come to Me quickly, if not to content your love, 
to satisfy Mine.” 


after Communion. 

“ Bless the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord 99 
(Ps. cxxxiii.). 

“ Exalt ye the Lord our God ” (Ps. xcviii.). 

“ Bless the Lord, all ye His Angels 99 (Ps. cii.) 

“ Give glory to the Lord, for He is good ” (Ps. 
cvi.). 

<( Adore the Lord our God, and give thanks to 
Him ” (Tobias xi.). 

“ Adore the Lord my God 99 (Dan. xiv.). 

“Bless the Lord, for He hath shown His 
wonderful mercy to me ” (Ps. xxx.). 

“My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my 
spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour 99 (Luke i.). 

“ Because He that is mighty hath done great 
things to me, and holy is His Name ” (Id.). 

“ What shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy f 
Wherewith shall I kneel before the high God?” 
(Micheas vi.). 


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“Give to the most High according to what He 
hath given to thee ” (Ecclus. xxxv.). 

Lord, Thou hast given me Thyself. I return 
Thee Thyself in thanksgiving for Thy unspeakable 
Gift. Thou hast given me Thy cross. I bring 
it to Thee to be blessed and sanctified by Thy 
Presence. 

My cross is all that goes against self ; all that 
it costs to reduce self ; to bring self into con- 
formity with Thy Will ; whatever goes counter to 
my liking in companions, duties, the way things 
fall out* the way things are done. 

Is it more than this ? Is my cross one of those 
heavy, lifelong, sanctifying trials that make each 
day a Way of the Cross? Lord, Thou knowest. 
Behold, O Lord, Thou hast known all things . . . 
my path and my line Thou hast searched out ; 
Thou hast foreseen all my ways (Ps. cxxxviii.). 
Thou art my God, my lots are in Thy hands 
(Ps. xxx.). There let my will be too. Teach me 
to see as Thou seest ; to take a right view of the 
cross in whatever shape it comes to me. This 
alone would set right my outlook on life. I 
know that suffering must come to us all. I 
believe that it comes by Thy Will or permission, 
and that it is laden with good to those who love 
Thee. But I want much more than this. I want 
to realise what I believe. I want to be intimately 
convinced that suffering is not what the world 


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takes it to be — an evil, but a treasure in which 
those nearest and dearest to Thee have the 
largest share. In the lives of the Saints I see 
plainly that this is so. But to appreciate the 
value of the cross in my own life is a different 
matter. Let me understand as they did the good 
hidden in the cross. It does not sanctify all 
whom it touches. There are many whom it 
drives from Thee. Lord, let it do for me what 
it has done for all Thy holy ones. Let it teach 
me that we are wayfarers here on earth, having 
here no lasting city. And let it draw me to 
Thee. Those who were attracted to Thee during 
Thy life on earth were not the strong and the suc- 
cessful, but those in sorrow either on their own 
account or for those they loved. Among the 
suffering we always find Thee. Whilst all pros- 
pers with us we are apt to forget Thee, Lord. 
But a reverse, a humiliation comes, creatures 
fail us, and at once we betake ourselves to 
the Creator who is so kind that He does 
not reject us even then. My God, let every 
trial draw me closer and closer to Thee. 
Let it bring out Thy likeness in my soul, as the 
sculptor’s mallet and file and chisel bring beauty 
out of the shapeless marble and realise his ideal 
at last. The work cannot be done without suffer- 
ing. Lord, strengthen me to suffer. Take from 
me the excessive fear of everything that brings 


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me pain. Help me to welcome pain as a means of 
expiating past sins, as giving me compassion for 
others — above all, as likening me to Thee, my 
Master, and enabling me to prove my love to 
Thee. Thy sensitive Body and Soul have sounded 
all the depths of human sorrow that Thou might- 
est be able to feel for us in every pain of body 
and mind. Unite my little pains with Thine 
that they may merit an eternal reward, the 
reward of special nearness to Thee in Thy King, 
dom when life is done. 

Oblation and Petition , p. 87. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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“ Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow 
of death I will fear no evils, for Thou art with me” 
. — Ps. xxii. 


Before Communion. 

The Last Welcome! When will it be, and 
Where, and how? All this is hidden from me. 
But what is certain is that it will be soon . No 
matter how many Communions there may be 
between this and my last, that last will come 
soon. 

How fast the years speed by! How quickly 
the Easter Communions come round, and the 
First Fridays, and His visits on the great Feasts ! 
Each strengthens my union with our Lord by 
fresh degrees of sanctifying grace, and confers 
a right to a closer union with Him hereafter. 
Each is a safeguard in dangers to soul and body 
of which I shall know nothing in this life. Each 

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gives me a title to the guidance and the strength 
daily needs require, and to the special assistance 
necessary in critical hours. By each reception 
of the divine Food, our Lord verifies more _ and 
more fully His promise : “ He that eats Me shab 
live by Me.” By each I grow more and more 
into His likeness. 

This is what I owe to the Communions of my 
life. But what will the last do for me ? O my 
Lord, how much I count upon Thy last visit ! 
How I shall need Thee to shield and support me, 
to prepare me for the end ! But I must do my 
part now. I provide as far as may be for the 
great events of life ; must I not bring prepara- 
tion to the supreme act which can never be 
repeated, on which all depends? It is the 
greatest mistake to suppose that the mere fact 
of death being at hand will rouse me to extra 
exertion. The effect of the warning will be more 
than counterbalanced by the pain and weakness 
and weariness of that time. To do as well as 
usual and what is necessary, will be all I shall be 
fit for. God grant that doing as well as usual 
in the way of preparation for the Sacraments may 
be all that is necessary and more ! Some people 
count on a long process of preparation — a general 
confession, and what not. Much better to get 
all done beforehand. I may have a long illness ; 
I may have none. Death may come in a railway 


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accident, a fire, without a moment’s warning. I 
must run no risk. I must make all secure now. 
I will leave nothing to be said when I come to 
die. Each time I leave the confessional it shall 
be with the humble confidence that if my call 
were to come then, I should be ready. My God, 
surely there will be enough in the present and 
the future to tax my failing powers, without 
having to go back upon the past to rectify what I 
have deliberately postponed to the hour of death 1 
How should I in the anguish and prostration of 
that time be capable of an effort I was unwilling 
to make in the days of my strength? I must 
not count on time or will, or anything except the 
mercy of God and the habits of life which will 
stand me in good stead then. For my last con- 
fession I shall want contrition, strong, humble, 
trusting. I must prepare it now by dwelling 
thoughtfully on the motives for sorrow; that 
when I come to die, the sight of the crucifix, a 
suggested word, may awaken the sol row that is 
in my heart always. It is in the ho\ r of death 
that God rewards the habits of life. If I am 
earnest now in prayer for contrition and in 
making use of the motives that lead to it, He 
will come to the help of my weakness then, and 
give me for my last sacramental absolution a 
sorrow that will not only purify my soul from 
guilt, but go far to cancel the debt of punishment* 


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My God, who art coming to me now, give me 
true grief of heart for everything in my life by 
which I have offended Thee. Let it be that 
perfect sorrow which grieves for having sinned 
against a God so good in Himself and so in- 
finitely worthy of love. And make it perfect, 
not in kind only but in degree, that its effect 
may be not remission of guilt only but of the 
pain sin has deserved. There is no grace I ask 
more earnestly than this — an abiding sorrow for 
sin. Remember, Lord, Thy promise that he who 
asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him 
that knocks it shall be opened. I ask, I seek, I 
beg with all the fervour of my soul. I ask it 
for every hour of my life ; I ask it above all for 
the hour of my death. 

I trust, my God, that thou hast in store for me 
that merciful Sacrament which is the perfection 
of the Sacrament of Penance, that Last Anoint- 
ing which will purify my soul from the remains 
of sin and heal the wounds and weakness sin has 
left. Give me by Extreme Unction the strength, 
the patience, the trust in Thee which I shall 
need in the hour of my death. Let it comfort 
me by lessening my fear of death, my sorrow at 
leaving friends, my dread of the eternity on 
which I am entering, and the account I have to 
give. Let it curb the power of the enemy, and 
enable me to merit greatly by the cheerful 


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acceptance of Thy Will in all my pains of body 
and mind. I put my trust, dear Lord, in the 
prayers of Thy Church for me at that hour. 
That I may profit by them to the full, I will 
become familiar with them now. So will their 
sound be welcome at the last, and as She prays 
Thee by the holy anointing and by Thy most 
tender mercy to forgive all I have done ill by the 
misuse of sight, and hearing, of smell, and taste, 
and touch, my soul will be roused to intelligent 
response. How much they miss who hear these 
prayers for the first time when they come to 
die, who have never troubled to learn what the 
Church will ask for them in their hour of direst 
need! 

And then will come my Viaticum. There is 
sweetness, Lord, in all Thy Eucharistic names, 
but a special tenderness belongs to this. How 
loving has been Thy solicitude, how abundant 
Thy provision for those last hours of life on 
which eternity dependa Sacraments and holy 
rites fen the deathbed round on every side. 
And to crown all, Thou comest Thyself and 
under a new name, the more to arouse our atten- 
tion, and excite confiding love. Oh, as we lie 
there on our bed of death, what a pathway of 
light and grace shall we see stretching back from 
this Last Communion to the First one long ago ! 

Come Thou with Thy servants ” (4 Kings vi.) 


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was our invitation on that bright morning when 
we prayed Him to be our Companion along the 
journey of life. “ He answered : I will come. 
So He went with them ” (4 Kings vi.). 

And He has been our faithful Friend and ally 
all along the road. He has known us under 
every variety of circumstance. We have wel- 
comed Him as our mood or need suggested, and 
like a true friend He has fallen in with the exi- 
gencies of the hour. As sinners creeping to Him 
with our burden, as suppliants with our need and 
our prayer, as hosts mindful of what was His due 
rather than of our own necessity — thus have we 
welcomed Him times without number in the 
Communions of our life. And now the end has 
come. It is our Last Welcome, summing up ah 
that has gone before. We must meet Him 
shamefaced and contrite, for now more than ever 
we want forgiveness and mercy. We must be 
earnest in supplication, for the moment of our 
supreme need is at hand. We must exert our- 
selves to show Him in His last visit such 
hospitality as our failing powers will allow. 
Our varied welcomes will commingle in this last 
reception beneath the veils, which is to herald 
the face-to-face vision of Himself that will have 
an eternal thanksgiving. 

Lord, let me rehearse to-day for that hour. 
Let me win now for my last Communion such 


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grace that, despite weariness and pain, it may be 
a welcome indeed. 

I believe most firmly that in this Sacra- 
ment is truly present Jesus Christ, the only- 
begotten Son of God. Who for us men, and for 
our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was 
incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, 
and was made man. In this faith I desire to 
live and to die. Lord, I believe ; increase my faith. 

I hope, 0 my Saviour, in that mercy which 
brought Thee down from Heaven for me ; which 
has followed me unweariedly throughout my life ; 
which has forgiven me so often ; which will con- 
tinue with me to the end. Yes, my God, in spite 
of sins, and shabbiness with Thee, of waste of 
time and grace and opportunities, of neglect of 
responsibilities, of wrong-doing harmful to the 
souls whom Thou lovest — in spite of shortcomings 
of every kind, I hope in Thee, I cling to Thee, I 
abandon myself to Thee unreservedly for time 
and for eternity. I know in whom I have 
believed, and I am certain that He is able to 
keep that which I have committed to Him. In 
Thee, 0 Lord, have I hoped, and I shall never be 
confounded. 

I love Thee, Lord ; Thou knowest that I love 
Thee. Love is shown by a communication of 
goods. Thou hast given me all Thou hast in 

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338 WELCOME! 

giving me Thyself. I offer and restore to Thee 
all the gifts I have received from Thy hand. I 
make over to Thee now and for the hour of my 
death my immortal soul, which Thou hast loved so 
dearly as to purchase it at the price of Thy blood 
and life. 0 dearest Lord, I love and thank 
Thee for this Thy infinite love ; for all Thou hast 
done for us in Thy suffering life and cruel death ; 
for Thy Church, Thy Sacraments, Thy promises, 
and above all, for the unspeakable Gift of Thy 
Real Presence. I love Thee, not only for what 
Thou hast given and promised, but for what Thou 
art. I desire to love Thee as Thou deservest to be 
loved. Increase Thy love in my heart every 
hour of my life, that I may love Thee in eternity 
with the whole strength of my whole being, 
according to Thy desire and mine. 

Lord, I am not worthy to receive Thee under 
my roof. Give me now and for the hour of my 
death a deep sense of my unworthiness. But let 
it be true humility with no tincture of discourage- 
ment. The less I find in myself on which to 
rely, the more absolutely will I cast myself on 
Thy mercy and Thy love. 

I desire to receive Thee to-day, dear Lord, and 
to give Thee the most loving of welcomes. Give 
me for my last Communion such faith and fer- 
vent desire, that it may rouse my soul from the 
apathy which numbs the powers and affections at 


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the approach of death. Now and for the hour of 
my death I invite Thee to my poor heart, uniting 
my desires to the longing of Thy loving Heart* 
which desires with desire to give itself to me. 

Come, Lord Jesus ! 

Show me Thy face, and let Thy voice sound in 
mine ears. 

As the hart panteth for the waterbrooks, so 
panteth my soul for Thee, O God. 

For what have I in Heaven, and besides Thee 
what do I desire upon earth. 

Come, Lord, and do not delay. 

u Behold, I come quickly.” 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus ! 


after Communion, 

" My God and my Saviour 99 (Ps. lxi.). 

“ What have I in Heaven, and besides Thee 
what do I desire upon earth ? Thou art the God 
of my heart, and the God that is my portion for 
ever ” (Ps. lxxii.). 

Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and let all that is 
within me bless His holy Name 99 (Ps. cii.). 

" Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and never forget 
all He hath done for thee 99 (Id.). 

“ It is good for me to adhere to my God 99 
(Ps. lxxii.). 


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“ My God is my Helper, in Him will I put my 
trust ” (Ps. xvii.). 

“ And now, O Lord, do with me according to 
Thy will ” (Tobias iii.). 

“ Protect me under the shadow of Thy wings n 
(Ps. xvi.). 

“ Show forth Thy wonderful mercies, Thou 
who savest them that trust in Thee ” (Ps. xvi.). 

“ O Lord, my Helper and my Redeemer * 
(Ps. xviii.). 

“ The day of Thy inspection, Thy visitation 
cometh ” (Micheas vii.). 

My God, these words terrify me, for I know my 
iniquity, and my sin is always before me. I know 
that Thine eyes see my imperfect being ; and if 
Thou shalt mark iniquity, Lord, who shall stand it % 

ic Be quiet, fear not, and let not thy heart be 
afraid ” (Isa. vii.). “I will have mercy on thee 
more than a mother ” (Ecclus. iv.). 

Lord, I fear, not my past sins only, but the 
rage of my enemy, who will “ come down upon 
me having great wrath, knowing that he hath but 
a short time ” ( Apoc. xii.). 

“ Fear not, neither be troubled. ... Is there 
a God besides Me?” (Isa. xliv.). € * Fear not 
because of him of whom you are greatly afraid : 
fear him not, for I am with you to save you and 
to deliver you from his hand ” (Jer. xlii.). 


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Lord, I fear the temptations of that time, 
the assaults and perils that await my hour of 
weakness. 

" Be not afraid at their presence, for I am 
with thee to deliver thee” (Jer. i.). “ The Lord 

thy God will fight for thee ” (Deut. iii.). 

Lord, I fear the loneliness of that hour, for I 
must go down alone into the dark valley of the 
shadow of death : no friend may follow me ; my 
need and my cry none will know. 

“ Abide thou with me ; fear not” (1 Kings xxii.), 
“Thou shalt know that the Lord thy God is a 
strong and faithful God ” (Deut. vii.). “ The 
friend that will abide with thee in the day of thy 
trouble ” (Ecclus. vi.). “A friend steadfast” 
(Ecclus. vi.). “ A strong defence ” (Ecclus. xiv.). 

I know, O Lord, in whom I have believed, and 
I' am certain that He is able to keep that which 
I have committed to Him. But I fear lest in the 
last combat my hold on Thee should relax, and I 
should fall from Thee and perish. 

“ Underneath are the everlasting arms. Fear 
thou not, My servant . . . neither be dismayed . . . 
for I will save thee . . . for I am with thee to 
save thee ” (Deut. xxxiii.). 

Lord, the time for mercy ends with this life. 
It is as Judge Thou wilt meet me when I 
appear before Thee, and I am afraid. 

“ Let not your heart be troubled, and let it not 


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fear'* (John xiv.). “ It is I” (Matt. xiv.). “Whom 
having not seen you love, in whom . . . you be- 
lieve, and believing shall rejoice with joy unspeak- 
able” (i Pet. i.). “I have loved thee with an 
everlasting love ” ( J er. xxxi. ). “ I have called thee 
by thy name, thou art mine” (Isa. xiv.). “ I am 
the Lord and I change not” (Malach. iv.). “ Fear 

not. It is I ” (John vi.). “ Jesus Christ, yester- 

day, to-day, and the same for ever ” (Heb. xiii.). 

“ The Lord is my light and my salvation, 
whom shall I fear ? The Lord is the protector of 
my life, of whom shall I be afraid ? ” (Ps. xxvi.). 

“ If armies in camp should stand together 
against me, my heart shall not fear 99 (Ps. xxvi.). 

“Why shall I fear in the evil day?” (Ps. 
xlviii.). 

“ Behold, God is my Saviour, I will deal confi- 
dently, and will not fear 99 (Isa. xii.). 

“Though I should walk in the midst of the 
shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art 
with me " (Ps. xxii.). 

“The Lord is my light . . • He will bring me 
forth into the light ” (Mich. vii.). 

“ I will look towards the Lord, I will wait for 
God my Saviour 99 {Id.). 

Oblation and Petition , p. io. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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“In an accepted time have I heard thee , and in 
the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold 
now is the acceptable time : behold now is the dap of 
salvation? — 2 Cor. vi. 


Before Communion. 

I look up from my place in Purgatory to the 
altar rails where I knelt in life, to the place 
where I made my thanksgiving after Communion. 
I look back to the moments spent there which per- 
haps seemed long. Oh for one quarter of an hour 
now of that “ acceptable time ” ! Oh to have back 
one of those 11 days of salvation ” ! I realise now 
to some extent the awful sanctity of God, the 
frightfulness of sin, the justice of the penalty it 
entaila Above all, I feel the irresistible attrac- 
tion of that Beauty of which I had a glimpse at 

Judgment. I am drawn to it with a vehemence 
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which carries with it my whole being, and flings 
me upon God as the wave upon the shore. And 
I am driven back incessantly, for I am not yet 
ready for the embrace of the All-Holy. The 
results of sin that might so easily have been 
thrown off on earth, have to be burnt away here, 
slowly, painfully, unaided by the least effort on 
my part. I cry out in my agony : “ My God, 
my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? To the 
work of Thy hand stretch out Thy right hand ! ” 
And He answers me : “ In an accepted time I 
heard thee, and in the day of salvation I helped 
thee. Oh that thou hadst known in that day of 
thine the things that were for thy peace. But 
thou hast not laid these things to thy heart, 
neither hast thou remembered thy last end. 
Behold the night is come, in which no man can 
work. Amen, I say to thee, thou canst not go 
hence till thou hast paid the last farthing.” 

How shall I then bewail with unavailing sorrow 
my neglect of the Treasure provided for me in my 
Communions wherewith to pay my debts 1 My 
Creditor was with me, offering me, nay, pressing 
upon me, His infinite satisfactions to supply all my 
need : “ You that have no money, come, buy 
without money and without any price ” (Isa. lv.) 

He knows the need I shall have of Him as soon 
as life here is done. He knows that what we call 
need at present does not deserve the name ; that 


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real need begins in the prisons of the next life, 
where the soul pines for God with a hunger and 
thirst ot which no craving here can give us the 
faintest conception. There will be a hunger, too, 
in His Sacred Heart. They were made for each, 
other, His Heart and mine. “ I will draw them 
with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love " 
(Osee xi.). And once the counter-attraction of 
earth falls away, I shall respond to His drawing 
with the whole force of my being. Why must I 
keep Him waiting ? Why not use now the riches 
He places at my disposal ? Why not profit by His 
Presence within my heart to place my cause before 
Him, to propitiate Him while there is time, while 
we are together in the way? (Matt. v.). 

And why not use my nearness to Him in 
this life to secure from Him an ever-increasing 
nearness in eternity and for eternity ! How 
many further degrees of grace are the fruit of 
one Communion ! And to every such degree of 
grace corresponds a degree of glory, enabling me 
to know Him better, love Him more, enjoy Him 
more fully — and that for ever ! 

“Behold now is the acceptable time, behold 
now is the day of salvation.” Lord Jesus, grant 
me grace to know in this my day the things that 
are for my peace ! 


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after (Eonttmmton. 

“ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts ! 99 

“ Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

“ ThQu art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive 
glory, and honour, and power ” (Apoc. iv.). 

And therefore with Angels and Archangels, 
with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the 
heavenly army, we sing a hymn to Thy glory 
saying : “ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. 
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna 
in the highest. Blessed is He that cometh in the 
Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” 

“ Now is the acceptable time , now is the day of 
salvation ” (2 Cor. vi.). 

My Communion Days! O Lord, give me 
wisdom to use them as I ought. Let Thy close 
companionship then, effect a union that shall 
subsist when Thy actual Presence is withdrawn, 
a union growing ever more real, more intimate, 
more affectionate, resulting in a gradual merging 
of all my interests and desires in Thine. Let 
the love of self give place to the love of Thee, 
self-seeking to a loyal devotion to Thy Will. Let 
me search for Thy Will when it is hidden ; be 
quick to see it when it manifests itself ; embrace 
it and adhere to it, even when it brings me pain ; 
rest in it calm and trustful as the bird in its 
nest. Only thus, Lord, can there be real union 


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between us. And what above all imports is that 
our relations should be real. There must be no 
fiction, no shamming, everything must be real 
between myself and Thee. Life, the soul, 
eternity, are realities confronting me at every 
turn. I must face them, and I cannot, I dare 
not face them alone. As I go on my way my 
hand must be locked in Thine ; my eyes must be 
fixed on Thee ; my feet must follow Thy lead. 
I must be perfectly true with Thee; my inter- 
course with Thee must be honest and direct. 
Thou knowest all that is within me because Thou 
art my God; because Thou art my Father and 
my Friend, Thou shalt know it too from myself. 
There shall be no consciously crooked dealings 
with Thee; no corners curtained off from Thy 
sight; no subjects on which it is understood we 
do not trench. But I will be straightforward 
with Thee as far as I know myself. If I am 
mean, selfish, crafty even, I will own to it, at 
least with Thee. If I am rebellious or cowardly, 
half-hearted, mistrustful of Thee, Thou shalt hear 
it all from myself. I will lay bare my heart 
before Thee that all may be open to Thy sight. 
I am not afraid that Thine eyes should see my 
imperfect being (Ps. cxxxviii.), but only that 
there should be any wilful insincerity, any con- 
scious reserve to check the free flow of my heart, 
O Father, into Thine. 


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As I may rehearse for the hour of my death ; 
as I may see myself already amid the penal fires ; 
so I may hear Mass sometimes from within the 
veil. I may anticipate a little, and from my 
place in Heaven look down upon the familiar altar 
whence I so often watch the Sacrifice going up to 
God. I notice how the act done there rivets the 
attention of those who live in the full blaze of 
the unveiled Vision of God ; how that white 
Host attracts the gaze of the whole Church, 
Triumphant, Suffering, Militant, making all one. 
The Blessed look down upon It with adoring love ; 
the wistful eyes in Purgatory turn to It in hope ; 
the faithful on earth look up to It as It is raised 
above their heads, and bow down before the 
Lamb, “ standing as it were slain.” 

I see the water of life flowing on every side 
from the earthly throne of the Lamb. It mounts 
into Heaven and makes glad the City of God. 
It flows with a strong stream through the arid 
land of patient pain, and refreshes the sufferers 
who know at last what the Sacrifice of the altar 
might have been to them in life, what It might 
have spared them after death. North and south, 
east and west, that river traverses the earth, 
brightening, fertilising on every hand, bringing 
forth such abundant fruit for God’s glory that even 
now in a measure “ the kingdom of this world is 
become our Lord’s and His Christ’s ” (Apoc. xi.). 


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All this I see from my place in Heaven. I 
see how from the altar where I heard Mass — alas, 
how distractedly ! — the whole Church is vivified 
and enriched. I see what a more frequent and 
fervent assistance at that altar in the days of my 
life would have done for my soul and for those 
who are dear to me as my souL . . . 

And then I remember with gratitude and 
great joy that those days are still with me. 
" The acceptable time ” is not past. I may kneel 
before that altar still. As with the eyes of 
faith I see above me “the great cloud of wit- 
nesses ” ; as with Angels and Archangels and all 
the host of Heaven I join in suppliant confes- 
sion ; as I hear the plaintive cry of the captive 
souls, and my heart thrills with the needs' and 
sorrows of the Church on earth, I understand 
her termination of all her prayers : “ Through 
our Lord Jesus Christ.” I gain a fuller apprecia- 
tion of the Victim of our altars, the Guest within 
my breast, and bless God with a new thankful- 
ness for His Unspeakable Gift. 

Oblation and Petition , p. ia 

Player before a Crucifix, p. 12. 


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III 

44 Who in his days pleased God ” — Ecclus. xliv. 


before Communion* 

Blessed summary of a life ! O Lord, that it 
might be mine! A few days are granted me, 
with their flitting light and shade, their alterna- 
tions of labour and rest, their solemn lessons, 
their wholesome trials, their tranquil joys — but 
days only, one and all, passing swiftly with the 
freight with which I lade them. If I could but 
remember how fast they speed by, I should not 
attach myself too much to the pleasures they 
bring me, not grieve overmuch at their pain. 
I should think less of the journey than of its 
term. 

Jewish tradition tells of an Eastern prince who 
sent to King Solomon for a device for a ring that 
should restrain him in prosperity and uphold 
him in the day of trial. And Solomon sent him 

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the words: “And this also shall pass away.* 
Behold a greater than Solomon here. Let me 
ask the Eternal Wisdom who comes to me to-day 
to engrave deeply in my heart His word of warn- 
ing : “ Watch I ” ; His words of comfort : “ Be 
thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a 
crown of life” (Apoc. ii.) ; “Work your work 
before the time, and God will give you your 
reward in His time” (Ecclus. li.). 

Show me, O Wisdom of God, that the business 
of this life, the true aim of life is — not success, 
not honour, not the storing of plenty in view of 
many years, but to please God in the few days 
allotted me, by the wise use of all they offer me 
for His service and for my sanctification. 

Let me remember that each day’s journey is 
made once for all. “ For behold short years 
pass away, and I am walking in a path by which 
I shall not return ” (Job xvi.). My concern must 
be to make each day of march and toil pleasing 
to God by taking from His hand whatever of joy 
or sorrow it brings, not attributing to chance, 
misfortunes that befall me, not stopping at the 
human instruments by which they come, but 
passing beyond, to Him who order eth all things 
sweetly (Wisd. viii.). For all my ways are pre- 
pared (Judith ix.). Nothing upon earth is done 
without a cause, and sorrow doth not spring out 
of the ground (Job v.). 


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My God, when I look upon the holy lives of 
others, of those who among the heathen are 
serving thee amid danger and privation of every 
kind, or, in a sphere of humbler heroism, are 
bearing nobly the cross of poverty, persecution, 
failure, sickness, I feel inclined to envy them 
their generous service, and to look almost with 
despair on mine. 

Yet would I change my lot with theirs? 
Hardly, I think. Not even for the joy of giving 
Thee that better, nobler service which they give, 
could I forego that special knowledge and love 
of Thee which my past has furnished, and which 
is my treasure for eternity. Trials, difficulties, 
weakness, falls, graces, succours, opportunities, 
victories, joys — Thy patient, persevering love 
shining through all, guiding all, working out 
Thy designs through all, could I part with this ? 
Could I part with Thee, my God, the God of my 
life (Ecclus. xxiii.), so sweet, so tender, so true ; 
the God of my experience, dear to me as my 
own intimate, unshared possession ? No, I could 
not part with Thee, my God. 

0 my God and my Friend! fciend beside 
whom no other deserves the name ; Friend never 
weary of me, never misinterpreting, never mis- 
trusting, never, like other friends, willing yet 
powerless ; believing all things, hoping all things, 
enduring all things, I give Thee most humble 


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and most hearty thanks for this gift to me of 
Thyself. 

Thou art a friend that never fallest away. 
For if we sin we are thine (Wisd. xv.), and — as 
is the wont of the innocent and the injured — 
Thou art the first to seek reconciliation. O 
faithful Friend, ever ready with Thy counsel, 
Thy comfort, Thy warnings, and when needful 
Thy reproofs, the only friend on whom we can 
count with certainty, to whom we may unburden 
ourselves without reserve, with whom there is no 
waiting for opportune moods and moments, no 
need of guarded speech, whom there is no fear of 
scandalising in hours when the heart's bitterness 
overflows, what shall we render to Thee for all 
Thou hast rendered unto us in giving us the 
right to call Thee — Friend ! 

Thou wert waiting for us when our eyes opened 
upon this world, and Thy hand will close them 
gently and lay us to our rest when our work here 
is done. All through life Thou dost tread the 
path by our side, and at its points of crisis and of 
trial we “ find Thee there first ” (Ecclus. xii.). O 
Friend who alone remainest as the road behind 
us lengthens, and those who began the journey 
with us have dropped away one by one; Thou 
who d rawest nearer as the gaps widen and the 
sense of loneliness deepens — stay with us still, 
stay with us unto the end. The weight of years 

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begins to tell, our steps are faltering — stay with 
us, stay with us, O Lord I Let the failing of 
other friendships be the strengthening of Thine. 
Let the void in so many places make room for 
Thee, and the instability of all things else drive 
us to lean with all our weight on Thee. 

And when the end is come, when the night 
falls, stay with us then, O Lord! WTien the 
shades of death shut out the sights of earth; 
when eyes and ears are dulled to the things of 
sense; when I find myself on the threshold of 
eternity, and earth has all but rolled away from 
beneath my feet ; when the words of human love 
no longer reach me, and the voice of Mother 
Church alone, soothing and protecting, comes 
between my soul and the perils of that hour — 0 
Friend of my life, show Thyself to me then as 
the Faithful and True ! Prepare me Thyself for 
the Sacraments in which Thou hast stored help 
for us in that time of direst need. Give me such 
contrition for the sins of my life, that the Last 
Blessing and Plenary Indulgence may have their 
full effect, that not all guilt only, but punishment 
too may be remitted. I shall be equal to little 
effort, to little prayer, but let my petition now 
secure me the graces I shall want then. Give 
me, O Lord, such faith and hope and charity, 
and such desire to receive Thee, that coming to 
me in Viaticum Thou mayst strengthen me fully 


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for my last journey, and shield me from the Evil 
one who will be there with great wrath, knowing 
that he has but a short time. Lord, all my hope 
for that last hour is in Thee. I place all my 
trust in the pity of Thy Sacred Heart, in the in- 
tercession of Thy Blessed Mother, of St. Michael, 
the Prince of all the souls to be received, of my 
Good Angel, and in the prayers of Thy Church. 
When I walk through the valley of the shadow 
of death I will fear no evil, for Thou wilt be with 
me. Thy Arm will be round me, Thy voice will 
encourage me — and, dearest Lord, Thy Face will 
welcome me when the mists of time are cleared 
away, and in the light of eternity I see Thee as 
Thou art. 


&fter Communion. 

“Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the 
throne, the throne of His glory in Heaven, the 
throne here on earth of my poor heart.” 

a O ye Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord; 
praise and exalt Him above all for ever. 

“ O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord ; 
praise and exalt Him above all for ever.” 

“ Give praise to our God, all ye His servants : 
and you that fear Him, little and great.” 

“0 give thanks to the Lord because He is 
good, because His mercy endureth for ever.” 


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“ Fear not the sentence of death . . . and what 
shall come upon thee by the good pleasure of the 
most High ” (Ecclus. xli.). 

The God of my life I can trust with my death. 
He who so far has ordered all things sweetly, 
will not fail me in my greatest need. If death is 
His sentence, it is also His invitation. As a 
sentence, justly deserved, I accept it with sub- 
mission and resignation. As an invitation, I 
give most hearty thanks for it, and respond to it 
with gladness. It is the recall from exile, the 
passage to the Presence Chamber, the gate of my 
Home. It brings me the unveiled face, the 
embrace, eternal union with Him whom I love. 

Love delights to repay in kind. All through 
the years of my wayfaring on earth, I have 
offered Thee hospitality, 0 Lord. Thou hast 
stood at the door and knocked, and I have 
opened. Thou hast asked for shelter, and I have 
given Thee a home. It is now Thy turn. The 
time has come for Thee to receive me into Thy 
House and make me welcome there. 

“ Lord, where dwellest Thou ? ” 

“ Come and see.’ 

“ They came and saw where He abode, and 
they staid with Him that day ” (John i.). 

Answer thus, dear Lord, the longing desire of 
my heart. Say to me in the hour of my death : 
“ Come and see.” For winter is now past, the 


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rain is over and gone, the flowers have appeared 
in our land. Arise and come (Cant. ii.). The 
long road of exile is nearly traversed ; the time of 
veils and figures, of faith and hope, of struggle, 
and uncertainty, and fear, draws to a close. 
Look up and lift up your head, because your 
redemption is at hand. Look up to your Father’s 
House with its many mansions. I have prepared 
a place for you, that where I am you may be with 
Me. Come and see. Eye hath not seen, nor ear 
heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of 
man to conceive what God hath prepared for 
them who love Him : Come and see.” 

Call me, and bid me come to Thee, O Lord. 
Call me that I may see where Thou dwellest, and 
may stay with Thee throughout the day of eternity. 

“ Fear not the sentence of death . . . and what 
shall come upon thee by the good pleasure of the 
most High.” 

We are told that the best preparation for 
death is self-abandonment into the hands of God. 
We have made our peace with Him. We have 
received Him into our souls who is our peace. 
What remains for us but to forget ourselves, to 
leave the care of ourselves entirely to Him. 
“ Fear not what shall come upon thee.” What- 
ever comes will be His good pleasure. Pain of 
body may come, and anguish of soul. I will lie 


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358 

still in my Father’s arms — the Will of God is 
welcome. Purgatory must come, and it will be 
grievous and long — the Will of God is welcome. 
When He shall have fulfilled His Will in me 
(Job xxiii.) by the cleansing fires, I shall be 
called to do His Will as it is done in Heaven. I 
shall hear the voice of my Beloved : 

“Arise, My love, and come.” “The night is past, 
the day is at hand” (Rom. xiii.). “Give praise, be 
glad, and rejoice with all thy heart . . . thou 
shalt fear evil no more” (Sophon. iii.). “ Put off 
the garments of thy mourning and affliction, and 
put on the beauty and honour of that everlasting 
glory which thou hast from God” (Baruch v.). 
“ Arise, make haste, and come.” 

Oh with what rapture shall 1 welcome that 
Will of God, and hold out my arms to Him, and 
speed away to His embrace. “ I have found Him 
whom my soul loveth ” (Cant, iii.), and now there 
is nothing to hold me back from Him ; “ my heart 
is ready, O God, my heart is ready ! ” (Ps. cvii.). 

Oblation and Petition , pp. 169, 171. 

Prayer before a Crucifix, p. 12, 


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